PV solar panels for energy consumers going there own way.
Solar panels made easy.
Learn about PV solar panels (photovoltaic) and installations by MCS-accredited installers
Contrary to popular belief, PV solar panels in the UK produce electricity even on cloudy days. Amazingly, photovoltaic's installed today will still be generating in three decades-time.
Photovoltaic cells produce electrons that are like cats. They'll go where
ever the food is better, and in a PV context, that may be battery
storage, washing machine, TV or EV-charging etc. Electrons will naturally gravitate to where they're earthed/needed.
An
inverter is fitted in the loft space with a wall-mounted display unit
to check your current/daily/monthly/annual performance figures.
Smarter:
Photons from the sun can penetrate clouds allowing you to generate some power even on overcast and cloudy days.
Specifications.
1-5 kWh sizing options. 180-300 Watts per panel. On-roof or ground-mounted.
MCS PV solar installers.
All our MCS installers are RECC members and work throughout England, Scotland and Wales. All MCS-qualified installers have an ethical attitude in today's modern solar industry.
"Believe it or not, photovoltaic solar panels installed in the 1960's are still generating electricity today."
A different perspective.
The internal combustion engine has been the greatest machine developed by mankind, yet for most of its lifespan; lays dorment on the driveway.
When in use, the rev counter varies from 1,000 to 6,000 RPM depending on road conditions and brings its owner a sense of pride (maybe) with its usefulness spanning two decades or more.
The same is true with photovoltaics. However, with battery storage the usefulness continues beyond its initial operating time.
Whilst operational, the performance counter varies too depending on atmospheric conditions and also brings a sense of pride (maybe) with its usefulness spanning three decades or more.
PV cells work more efficiently in colder temperatures.
Degradation of the panels occurs much quicker in hotter climates, just like redlining your car engine will reduce its lifespan and ultimately its efficiency.
How do photovoltaic systems work?
PV solar panels get bombarded with photons during daylight hours. Those Photon's striking the panels cause Electrons to be created and fed into your home.
The inverter switches the current from an AC to DC.
Electricity produced naturally travels to earth, which means the power will go to any used technology in your home first, or out to the National Grid second.
The amount of electricity generated will be recorded daily in the management system.
The feed-in tariff will pay you for the electricity generated whether used by yourself or not.
No ongoing maintenance is required.
What roof orientation is best?
Most homes are suitable for a South/South East/South West facing roof space. No planning permission needed in most cases.
A system would generate approximately 750 kWh/year per kW installed. So a primary 1.0 kW system would provide around 750 kWh per year, and a 5kW system will produce about 4500 kWh. Introducing Photovoltaic technology is a terrific way of future-proofing your home.
How much will an installation cost?
The cost of a PV solar panel installation depends on several factors but usually based on system sizes. A consultation appointment can be arranged to give you your options and costs.
Your yearly electric bill x 30 years (panel lifespan).
+3% (average yearly inflation) equals your future energy costs.
Compare this figure to the cost of installing PV.
(This simplistic equation doesn't take into account any future energy price rises (If the last fifteen years is anything to go by, then future-proofing your life from political-stupidity is a necessity, not a luxury).
PV to hot water converters can heat up a traditional hot water tank using a device that diverts some of your generated daytime electricity toward your heating coil. It's beneficial because it eliminates the need for your boiler to heat your water and is an additional way of benefiting from this technology.
Can I install myself?
In most cases no, but if you have a Part P electrical qualification.
Installing DIY solar panels can work out much cheaper. However, installations must be certified by an accredited MCS accredited installer.
Although PV-arrays take a lot of roof space, most homes in the UK are suitable. Additionally, they can be installed using A-frames if roof space is a problem.
What does grid-connected mean?
The generated electricity, which will vary according to the level of sunlight, means the excess energy produced will be directed out to the National Grid, and you will be credited accordingly.
In this way, the deficit between generation and demand can draw from your electricity supplier as usual.
Do I need planning permission?
No planning permission is needed unless you live in a listed building or conservation area.
What maintenance is required?
The advantages of photovoltaic solar panels in the UK, among other micro-generation technologies, are that no maintenance is required because it is a 'solid-state' energy conversion process.
I heard fitting is expensive?
With generous, grants available, the increase in your house price after fitting and freedom from energy prices, investment in such a system has now become a real choice for homes across the UK.
Do photovoltaic work on cloudy days?
This answer depends on the technology installed and the density of the cloud. In average cloud density, the sun's energy can make a difference. With very, heavy dark, dense cloud cover, probably not. Use your solar powered calculator out on a cloudy day, and it will still work.
Can I heat my hot water?
Yes, although it's not a standard piece of kit, you can add additional converters that use your free power to heat your hot water tank. The converters are relatively cheap to install and will give you bountiful amounts of heated water.
Can I sell my surplus energy?
Yes, feed-in tariffs for electric-generating systems or the Clean Energy Cashback Scheme will credit you. The system is time sensitive designed to reward the earlier takers with a more significant feed-in tariff.
Will fitting have a substantial impact on my home?
Once installed on the roof, the internal components do not take up much space inside. Fitting usually can be done within 3-4 days, with installers being polite, clean and tidy.
What size system will I need?
Your requirement depends on your energy consumption rate. You can find this out by looking at your electricity bill and finding your annual consumption.
Do I need planning permission?
Conservation areas or listed buildings. It is worth contacting your local council beforehand.
How long does a system last?
Photovoltaics installed in the 1960s are
still working today. Photovoltaic panel degradation sometimes used as
a sales tool within the industry, but with modern manufacturing, the degradation
rate is a minimal consideration when choosing an installer.
How do panels clean themselves?
The glass is coated with a microscopically thin layer of titanium dioxide. When ultraviolet light falls on the glass, the coating reacts with organic matter in the dirt, breaking it down. The dust takes readily to water. Thus, when the rain arrives, it spreads uniformly across the surface and is washed away.
"Real cutting edge stuff, but the needs and desires of people to unshackle themselves from the increasingly shortsighted traditional energy system are gaining momentum daily. Not just in the UK, but worldwide."
PV solar panels and battery storage
Being at the cutting edge of technological advancements means installing PV solar panels with various add-on's such as PV-to hot water converters, battery storage and even electric vehicles.
Previously, installing photovoltaic solar panels on your home meant claiming just the feed-in tariff for exporting your surplus electricity for financial reward.
That cutting edge has become much sharper.
These DC coupled storage technologies allow the homeowner to 'store' the electrons that they're solar panels produce for later use, generally in the evenings. This technology is an important turning point for vastly reducing 'imported' power requirements and thus reducing dependency on the status quo.
As existing PV owners will already know, electrons are like cats. They go wherever the food or demand is best. A battery storage unit is automatically charged and discharged to meet your consumption needs and reduce the amount of electricity purchased from the traditional grid.
Electrons go wherever is required within its local environment. So, yes, you can still claim the export tariff (Fit scheme) if you install a battery storage device and it will run side-by-side with your existing PV set-up.
An inverter is available for both PV and the battery storage that can be installed in external locations that give much greater flexibility with installations. If there is an emergency power outage, a combination of PV power and stored battery power is used to power devices such as the refrigerator, TV, lights and AC outlets, day or night.
For the most part, your daytime electricity requirements will be served up by the solar panels themselves. A display interface shows your battery storage units input and output.
This technology is scary stuff if you're in the business of selling gas and electricity.
The future of powering domestic households will be a self-generating model. At the age of today's average 1,200 GBP energy costs and rising, a tipping point in people's mind will be reached when PV's full range of benefits is more widely known.
Real cutting edge stuff, but the needs and desires of people to unshackle themselves from the increasingly shortsighted traditional energy system are gaining momentum daily. Not just here, but worldwide.
What's magical about PV to battery storage is that this technology now used for transportation needs too. The growth of global PV uptake is now growing hand-in-hand with EV (electric vehicle) adoption rates also.
An EV is a battery storage device with wheels. Thus the same rules apply to EV charging as it does to battery storage devices.
"Making hay while the sun shines" has a new and more modern significance in the age of solar panels. In fact, this is a real game-changing technology because one of the issues that put people off adopting solar panels was that fact they only worked in daylight.
These advances in clean energy technologies are part of a broader transformation toward a smarter use of energy and less dependence for consumers on a centralised and subsidised system. Today's battery storage capabilities are not just for storage, but additionally monitor the battery status, PV production, and self-consumption data over days, month and even years.
This data can be used to optimise your energy consumption and thus further reduce dependence on the National Grid, which consistently raises prices year-on-year. Simple changes to lifestyle and awareness of your energy consumption seem to come as standard with those who adopt solar panels and the savings that follow.
With further technological progress in the pipeline by all the major car manufacturers, it's plausible that EV's of the future will be used as household battery storage units too.
This 'two-way' import/export model rolled out nationally and globally will have a real positive change in our current one-hundred-year-old electricity network, and this movement is happening today.
This way of life is game-changing stuff, and whether you're an existing savvy PV owner or just dipping your toes into the benefits of solar panels, you'll find that battery storage is the next step towards a 'free' energy goal.
PV solar panels and electric vehicles
Powering your EV (electric vehicle) with photovoltaics is a revolutionary act.
To the ones who see things differently, who have no respect for the status quo.
We are changing things and driving the human race forward - literally.
Today, it's now possible to spend your next ten years worth of energy costs and get back thirty plus years of free motoring miles, hot water and clean greener electricity for your kids. This alternative worldview is no more extended child's play, but now a reality.
A new car with thirty years of free miles, free hot water for the home and good a proportion of electricity generated by the sun is now available, and that's not even mentioning the payments through incentives.
This is now called supercharging your life with EV-charging capabilities through the power of photovoltaics and the sun.
In fact, it's now the people who continue to shackle themselves and their lives to the petrodollar industry which will soon be considered cuckoo.
You can now pay as little 15,000 GBP for a Nissan Leaf or 80,000 GBP for a Tesla supercharged sports car and everything in between including the BMW i8.
Look at the craziness around the world, wars, climate and the gradual breakdown of our civilisation and society! All traced back to the regular refilling of your vehicle, the heating of your home and the cost of powering your lifestyle.
We are round pegs trying to fit into a world of square holes. We see the world. Differently, we recognise the world is changing and changing fast, and we move forward with the times in a positive light, while a few self-interested parties don't!
EV's or electric cars is the only intelligent way to move our lives and civilisation forward sensibly. Our EV rapid-charge stations are fully compatible with any MCS accredited photovoltaic solar panel system and no longer require Middle Eastern tyrants to turn the wheels of progress.
And that's the oil that greases the squeak. The most prominent household expenditure in modern life is our energy bills and those costly regular visits to the petrol pump. Today you can curtail those costs and look cool.
This outlook is a real game-changer.
No longer do you have to resent the year-on-year escalation and the feeling of powerlessness that comes alongside your relationship with traditional energy providers - no longer! At 2p per mile (without PV powered assistance). Save up to 700 GBP each year on fuel; you'd be a lunatic not to not!
My grandparent's generation believed every fact that the government issued was factual. My parent's generation questioned the rhetoric; tried, but didn't have the power to change the oil-based economy. However, our generation now have the tools to transition and turn the old world order upside down - forever!
The real power of the electric vehicle is to move the world away from dependence on Middle Eastern regimes that dislike our freedom to choose. That's why I prefer to shout from the rooftops about the necessary transition to an EV-powered world.
It's only the interests of a few who now prevent the human race from progressing away from depending on what amounts to a 150-year-old combustion technology.
There's nothing more potent than a technology whose time has come, and PV solar panels will walk hand-in-hand with EV charging capabilities and will finally bring forward the future we were all promised as children.
The real power of electric cars has been to change the geopolitical landscape forever. They know it, now you see it, so together we can choose to fight for real freedom that they deny their people.
Oil interests are protected at all costs, but the progression of humanity away from oil is a much more significant need. Just by merely tweaking our attitudes towards driving and powering our homes - we can change the world.
Nothing but a revolution in the way we drive can begin to solve the vast problems humanity now face.
In a nutshell.
Reducing reliance; promoting independence.
Reducing reliance; promoting independence.
Helping people recognise the futility of Switch N' Save.
Recognising PV solar panels and EV's work brilliantly together.
Our enthusiasm grows for photovoltaics alongside global demand.
We make installing photovoltaics as comfortable as possible.
MCS PV solar installers →
