Solar PV could reduce your utility bills by up to £600 per year*

What is Solar PV?

Solar electricity panels, also known as Solar Photovoltaics (PV for short), use the energy from the sun to produce electricity that you can use within your home in the same way that solar calculators have for many years.

By installing solar panels you will not only reduce your bills by generating your own free, renewable electricity, but you will also reduce your carbon footprint meaning it’s a win-win for your pocket and the environment.

How do solar panels work?

When ultraviolet light shines on the cells within your solar PV panels, a flow of electricity is created by the layers of semi-conductors that makes up each cell. These semi-conductors are commonly made from silicon which gives solar PV its distinctive dark blue to black colour.

The radiation collected generates DC (direct current) energy, the same as that stored in batteries.

An inverter then converts this into usable AC (alternating current) electricity that can then be used in your home.

Any energy that is not used can be sent back to the grid or diverted to either batteries or Solar Electric Storage heaters for use at a more convenient time.

Is it sunny enough for solar panels to work in the UK?

Despite our reputation as a country prone to overcast conditions, we actually get more than enough energy from the sun to make solar panels a good investment in the UK. In fact solar panels don’t require direct sunlight to work, just the UV light that is produced by the sun during daylight hours. However, the stronger the sunshine, the higher the output on any given day.

The map shows the amount of energy (in kWh/kWp) available in every square metre (m²) of ground each year. According to the Global Solar Atlas, the annual Global Horizontal Irradiation in Berlin is 1068.8kWh/m² or around 10% more than Birmingham which achieves 971.4kWh/m² per year.

A tilted surface collects more energy than a horizontal surface depending on which direction the panels are facing in. For example a surface tilted towards the South at 35 degrees will collect around 17% more energy in Birmingham than a horizontal surface.

Benefits of Solar PV

• Reduce your energy bills by up to £570* per year
• Reduce your household carbon footprint
• Contribute to a sustainable future
• Increase your home’s Energy Performance Rating

Annual Savings

According to the Energy Saving Trust, based on a typical 3.5kWp system you could save up to £600 per year when combined with the Smart Export Guarantee.

Further savings can be made if your hot water is stored in a tank with gas heated, three-bedroom semi-detached property able to save up to £530 when combined with a PV diverter to run the immersion directly from surplus generation and claiming the Smart Export Guarantee.

Annual saving/income with the Smart Export Guarantee

	Home all day	Home in mornings	Home in afternoons	Out until 4pm	Out until 6pm
London	£600	£560	£560	£520	£510
Aberystwyth	£550	£510	£510	£470	£460
Manchester	£530	£500	£500	£460	£450
Stirling	£500	£460	£460	£420	£420

Annual saving/income with Smart Export Guarantee and PV diverter

The savings shown below are indicative for a gas heated, three-bedroom semi-detached property with a hot water cylinder and PV diverter (immersion run directly off surplus PV generation).

	Home all day	Home in mornings	Home in afternoons	Out until 4pm	Out until 6pm
London	£530	£500	£480	£450	£430
Aberystwyth	£485	£460	£430	£410	£390
Manchester	£475	£440	£430	£390	£380
Stirling	£435	£410	£395	£350	£340

Smart Export Guarantee

If your Solar PV system is generating more electricity than you need to run your property, the surplus will be sent to the National Grid.

If you have a Smart Meter installed, electricity suppliers offer payment for each kWh of power that you export. There are no set or minimum tariffs for the Smart Export Guarantee, however, it must be greater than zero at all times.

Solar Energy UK publish a league table of tariffs available which is updated on a frequent basis.

How long will it take to install?

Before commencing any works we will complete a survey of your property and provide you with a no-obligation quotation. Once you have accepted this we will book your installation to be completed by one of our teams.

Installation of a Solar PV system will generally take no longer than a day, however, we will confirm timelines with you at the time of confirming your installation date.

Once completed you will receive a warranty for all the products installed in your home, including an insurance backed workmanship warranty.

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