If you’re considering having solar panels fitted, here are some helpful facts to help you make your decision.
How Do Solar Panels Work?
In short, solar panels harness the sun’s energy, converting sunlight into energy that can be used in your home to power household appliances and lighting. The solar panels, also known as solar photovoltaics (PV), are made up of PV cells. These cells are made from semi-conducting material such as silicon. The light from the sun creates an electrical field that can be channelled to produce direct current energy, otherwise known as electricity. The solar panels work best in direct sunlight. The stronger the sunshine, the better the results but solar panels will also produce some energy when the weather is overcast.
Solar panels are groups of PV cells that are designed to replace the tiles on your roof. A solar panel usually consists of around 36 of these cells. The PV cells are covered by a layer of toughened glass to protect the solar panel from the weather, while still allowing light through. There’s also a thin layer of anti-reflective material. The back of the solar panels is made from aluminium and the panel is set into an aluminium frame.
How Do I Get The Most From My Solar Panels?
A specialist solar panel fitter, such as G&A Roof Repairs will advise you on the best solar panels to get for your home. The effectiveness of your solar panels will depend on how they are fitted. To use your solar panels throughout the year, solar panels should be placed in the optimum position for capturing the sunshine. In the UK, solar panels should face north and be angled to take advantage of solar peak hours. To find out how many peak hours of sunshine you get in your area, try a solar panel calculator.
When considering solar panels, you must also factor in the winter months when the sun sits low in the sky. A professional solar panel fitter will angle your solar panels just so, allowing you to make the most of the sunshine at all times of the year.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
The best way to work out how many solar panels you’ll need is to contact the professionals. They’ll do all the technical work for you and give you a breakdown of costs too, so you know where you stand. A quick way to estimate how many panels you’ll want is to make a note of all the appliances you use. Record how many watts they use and how many hours they’re in use for during the day. Work out the total wattage and divide this figure by the peak sun hours. The number you end up with is roughly the total wattage of the panels you need.
Call G&A Roof Repairs for help when you’re thinking of having solar panels installed. The G&A team can help you work out what kind of solar system you need, such as a grid connect or stand alone system and how much electricity you wish to generate with your solar panelling.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost?
The good news is that solar panels are now cheaper than ever. The price varies depending on the wattage of the solar panels and the size of the solar panel you have fitted. Even more good news is that as well as saving you money on energy bills in the long-term, you could also get cash for having solar panels fitted. You may be eligible for a Feed-in Tariff Scheme, which could bring in around £670 per year for exporting the surplus energy you’ve generated to the grid.
Contact G&A on 0800 626430. We’ll be happy to answer all your queries and give you an estimate of solar panel costs.
If you have just been handed your latest energy bill, the amount which needs to be paid could be very expensive. Finding a way to help decrease this is always welcome, especially as utility bills are due to rise as each year passes. Therefore, finding a way which will help to achieve this is vital especially if savings are needed over an extended period of time. Solar panels are a prime example of such because they are able to provide a return on your investment, aren’t they? When you want to purchase solar panels, the initial investment which will be made is bound to reap dividends over the years to come. But is this true? Provided for you here are a series of Top Ten Tips to keep in mind when you are considering solar panels for your property. Continue reading