Solar PV in Drammen, is it actually worth it?

I get this question several times a week. The answer is yes, but it depends on sizing the system correctly, and that is where a lot of suppliers get it wrong.

How much does a system in Drammen produce?

A well sized roof system in Drammen produces between 850 and 1,050 kWh per installed kWp per year. For a typical detached house roof with 8 kWp that means 6,800-8,400 kWh a year, enough to cover 50-70 % of the consumption of an average house.

What decides whether your roof is suitable?

• Direction: South is best, but SE/SW gives only 5-10 % less. East or west gives 15-20 % less. North-facing roofs, leave them be.
• Tilt: 30-45° is optimal for Drammen. Shallower roofs (15-25°) work fine with slightly flatter panels.
• Shade: Even a little shade on one panel cuts production for the whole string considerably. We solve that with optimisers or micro inverters where it is needed.

What does it cost?

A complete 8 kWp system typically runs between NOK 130,000 and 165,000 installed. Enova support is NOK 7,500 as a base grant plus NOK 1,250 per kWp up to 20 kWp, which comes to NOK 17,500 on an 8 kWp system.

When has it paid for itself?

At today’s electricity prices and with the plus-customer scheme, payback lands at 8-12 years for most of the systems we install. The panels carry a 25 year production warranty and typically deliver 80 %+ after 30 years.

Where people get it wrong

The most common mistake I see in competitors’ quotes is undersizing. The supplier works out consumption as it is today and forgets that the owner will soon have a heat pump, an electric car and maybe a battery. Then you either have to extend later (much more expensive per kWp) or live with a system that never delivers what it could. We design with a 3-5 year horizon in mind.

Want a concrete calculation for your roof? Send us a photo of the roof and last year’s electricity consumption and we will come back with a rough estimate.