Switched on people.

"PV systems installed in the 1960's are still generating electricity today. This fact is a real testament to this fantastic technologies longevity."

Questions about PV solar panels Monocrystalline or Polycrystalline? Monocrystalline cells. Thin slices cut from a single crystal of silicon with a typical efficiency of 15%. Slightly more expensive, but offer a higher peak output of 280-320 Watts per panel. Polycrystalline cells. Thin slices cut from silicon crystals with a typical efficiency of 12% and give a maximum output of 180 Watts per panel. Incentives

Can PV Power My Home?

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 fantastic technology.

PV-to-hot water converters

Roof orientation?

Most homes are suitable for a South/South East/South West facing roof space. Your internal electric board's checked for compatibility and wiring routing, but this can be done through our free "get a quote" service.

No planning permission needed in most cases.

Check your roof orientation.

How does this technology work in the UK?

PV solar panel installations are an attractive investment, with the feed-in tariffs and battery storage systems.

The UK receives 60% of the sun's radiation compared with the equator. Each square metre of the UK receives between 900 to 1,300 kWh annually from the sun's radiation each year.

Solar radiation map of the UK

How much roof space do I need?

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.

Is my roof suitable for PV solar panels?

How much will a system generate in the UK?

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. Use our get 'get a quote' service to receive individualised performance data for your property.

PV solar panels in the UK

How much will a system 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.

Get quotes

Can I install photovoltaic myself?

In most cases no, but if you have a Part P electrical qualification, then it may be possible to install in a DIY capacity. DIY PV solar panel kits are available.

DIY installing can work out much cheaper. However, you will not be eligible for the generous feed-in tariff schemes currently available. All eligible installations must be carried out and certified by an accredited MCS installer.

DIY solar panels

What about payback?

PV systems are 'performance guaranteed' for twenty years, but can still be generating thirty plus years. Payback can be achieved within ten years and will deliver a tax-free return on investment of around 5% - even if you use the power yourself. More benefits expected when used alongside an EV charger.

Feed-in tariff

PV feasibility equation:

Your yearly electric bill x 30 years.

+3% (average yearly inflation) equals your future energy costs.

Compare this figure to the cost of installing PV.

(The above equation doesn't take into account any future energy price rises.)

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, 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.

Does this technology 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 with these solar panels?

Yes, although it's not a standard piece of kit, you can add additional converters that use your PV solar panels 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 photovoltaic system last?

PV solar panels 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.

Do I need to clean my solar panels?

A quality system will usually have a self-cleaning glass surface. However, depending on your location, and may be more prone to environmental dirt, i.e. Tree resin, urban dust or bird Poo. If these are an issue, then most window cleaners can reach and clean, or you may use a professional solar panel cleaning company.

How does the glass clean itself?

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 rather than streaking.

"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.

Now your PV savvy.

EV's charged with PV.

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.

Today, you can use your solar-generated power to heat hot water using PV to hot water converters, also store electricity using battery storage and charge the car with over 200 miles worth of charge. Astonishing benefits, especially when you consider the three decades worth of lifespan that comes with photovoltaic panels too.

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.

Author.

"Feel the pride."

Stuart Lovatt
Founder of Power My Home.