Solar PV installation

 Now when all the electrical wiring and connections are done, it is time to start the inverter switch ON the Main Switch of the Home. Most solar inverters will have digital display to show you stats regarding generation and usage of solar unit.

 Solar electricity panels, also known as photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity that you can use in your home.

 A solar PV panel consists of many cells made from layers of semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon. When light shines on this material, a flow of electricity is created.

 The cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy days. However, the stronger the sunshine, the more electricity generated.

 Solar PV systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. Typical systems contain around 10 panels and generate direct current (DC) electricity. Because the electricity used for household appliances is alternating current (AC), an inverter is installed along with the system to convert DC electricity to AC. This electricity can be used throughout your home, or exported to the grid.

 Sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation, your electricity costs will be reduced. Find out how much you could save by using the Solar Energy Calculator.

 Solar electricity is low carbon, renewable energy. A typical home solar PV system could save around one tonne of carbon per year, depending on where you live in the UK.

 With any domestic PV system, there will be times when the electricity you generate is more than you can use or store, so the surplus will be exported to the grid to be used by somebody else. If you want to be paid for exporting, you need to make sure you’re getting an export payment. If you were able to claim the Feed-in Tariff (this closed to new applications at the end of March 2019), then you will be getting export payments as part of that. If not, you need to find an energy company that will pay you for this surplus.

 Following the closure of the Feed-in Tariff scheme to new solar PV system applicants in March 2019, the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) was introduced to provide financial support to small-scale renewable energy generators for the electricity they export to the grid. The savings from solar PV with the SEG are considerably higher than without it.

 In Great Britain, the Smart Export Guarantee pays you for the electricity you generate.

 In Northern Ireland, you can get paid for any surplus you export – usually estimated based on how much you generate. Several organisations offer this service, so if you’re interested, we recommend researching their offers to find one that works for you.

 The amount you will pay is influenced by the size of array and will be affected by any difficulty with access to your roof. Some of the installation costs can be shared if you already have scaffolding up for roof repairs or if you are building a new house. Costs are also affected by whether you choose panels or tiles, and whether you opt for building-integrated panels or choose panels that sit on top of your roof. Panels on top of the roof are the cheapest option, while tiles are the most expensive for the equivalent system.

 The cost of ground-mounted systems is more difficult to predict, as there are more variables such as the type of mounting frame, and how far away it is from the house.

 Costs can vary between installers and products, so we recommend getting quotes from at least three installers.

 Simple payback with vs without the Smart Export Guarantee in London, South East England

 Simple payback with vs without the Smart Export Guarantee in Aberystwyth, Wales

 Most households will use about 15-25% of the energy you generate, though this can change quite dramatically based on:

 Whether you heat your home or hot water using a heat pump or other electrical heating.

 Instead of sending surplus electricity to the grid, a PV diverter switch can power the immersion heater in your hot water tank, storing hot water for you to use later. On its own, excess solar energy is unlikely to meet all of your hot water needs, but it can help reduce your bills.

Ireland Solar PV Installation Company

 Solar PV systems need little maintenance. Keep an eye on nearby trees to ensure they don’t begin to overshadow your system.

 In the UK, panels that are tilted at 15 degrees or more benefit from being cleaned by rainfall, which helps to ensure optimal performance. Debris is more likely to build up if you have ground-mounted panels, or if you live in an area with more dust in the air. In these cases, you might need to have the panels cleaned occasionally.

 Once fitted, your installer should leave written details of any maintenance checks that you should carry out to ensure everything is working properly. This should include details of the main inverter fault signals and key troubleshooting guidance. Ideally, your installer should demonstrate this to you once the system has been installed.

 Keeping a close eye on your system and the amount of electricity it’s generating (alongside the weather conditions) will help you understand what to expect and alert you to when something might be wrong.

 The panels should last 25 years or more, but the inverter is likely to need replacing sometime during this period, at a cost of around £800 (depending on system size and the manufacturer). Some inverters have online monitoring functions and can warn you by email if the system fails.

 Most inverters have warranties of five years as a minimum, which can often be extended up to 15 years. Speak to your installer about the likely lifespan and benefit of an extended warranty. You might find that a 15-year warranty costs almost as much as a replacement inverter, so consider it carefully.

 Consult with your installer for exact maintenance requirements before you commit to installing a solar PV system.

 Consult with your installer for exact maintenance requirements before you commit to installing a solar PV system.

 Photovoltaic (PV) systems are a commonly used solar panel system in the UK. Photovoltaic systems convert sunlight directly into electricity.

 Solar cells are made of semiconductors, such as silicon, which absorb the sunlight and convert it into electricity.

 Solar cells are connected electrically and packed together in a frame, commonly known as a solar panel. When you connect multiple solar panels together, they form a solar array. And, finally, when you add the cabling, brackets, inverter, and so forth, the entire system forms your solar panel system.

 The electrical conductors are attached to positive and negative terminals, thus forming an electrical circuit. From there, the electrons can be captured in the form of an electric current (electricity). This current, together with the cell’s voltage (which is a result of its built-in electric field or fields), defines the power (or wattage) that the solar cell can produce, and is how solar panels convert sunlight into electricity.

 Grid-connected systems make use of the local utility grid to ensure you are never without electricity. If your residential solar panel system generates more electricity than your household requires in a day, this surplus energy can be exported back to the national grid. On the other hand, if you need more electricity than your solar panels have generated, the grid can supply this.

 Stand-alone PV systems are not connected to the grid, but instead charge a solar battery system. These batteries store the electricity generated by your panels. To operate your appliances, the stored electricity from these batteries will be used. Stand-alone systems are used in areas that cannot be connected to a grid, and are typically more expensive than grid-connected systems because solar batteries are still quite costly.

 Solar batteries store electricity generated by solar power and let you use it during the evenings when your solar panels are not generating electricity. You can make use of solar batteries whether you are connected to the grid or not.

 Solar battery storage system costs are not low, ranging from £1,200 to £6,000, depending on the size and capacity. However, technological advancements are leading to new solutions year after year, and may likely lead to a reduction in solar battery prices.

 Solar thermal panels use sunlight to heat up water that is stored in a cylinder, which can then be used for your home heating needs. Solar thermal panels are roof-mounted, just like electric solar PV panels, but look slightly different, as instead of cells they have multiple pipes that heat up water. A related technology is thermodynamic panels, which extract heat from the ambient air.