Should I wait for technology to improve?

[Heather]

People keep telling me I should look into renewable sources.  Apart from not knowing a great deal about the topic, I'm worried that if I was to go ahead and purchase something, that within months it would be out of date (bit like computers) - should I wait or not?  Are there new things coming that I would be better off waiting for?

[Mark Haslam]

You would be waiting forever if you decided to wait for technology to improve, because it's improving all of the time and it's never ending. I think you should, however, do plenty of research before you make your decision, as you need to be sure about what you're buying, and also be sure of the implications of your purchase.

[TechforEnergy]

The solar panel industry is not fast-moving like computers or mobile phones.

Usually, it takes 5 years or so for the industry to move a significant amount forwards, due to the large investments in factories which produce the technology.

As long as you have a proper site survey and a design from a good MCS company, there is no reason why a system installed today should not perform at an excellent level for decades to come.

Take the plunge now and secure a high FIT tariff for the next 20 years as the FIT tariff will not be around for ever.

[allegrif]

It's not quite like buying a computer. In computing, Moore's law states the technology will double in power every 2 years. In the world of renewable energy, you're looking at more like 30 years. I think you're safe to go ahead and make the investment.