We’ve heard of some horror stories regarding solar panel installation and at UK Green Energy Installations we know how important it is to ensure installation is completed to-the-letter.
We go through a myriad of processes to ensure everything is spot-on and ultimately the installation is completed to-the-letter and using the manufacturer’s installation guidelines, including everything from angles to torque.
Talk to us about installing solar panels on your roof.
There’s never been a better time to invest in solar panels for your property and in this post we explore three easy ways you can use the excess energy.
Heating your hot water - utilising an energy diverter can divert excess energy to your immersion heater, reducing your gas bill. In the summer months you may end up paying nothing to heat your water, depeneding on energy production and the amount of excess you have.
Charge your car - with a smart EV charge point (such as Zappi or Andersen A2). These innovative car chargers monitor your Solar energy for any excess and uses it to charge the car.
Store your excess - so you use it when you need it. The GivEnergy battery storage solutions allow you to store your excess enegy so it can be used on demand. You can also charge the batteries using cheaper night time tariffs and use the energy stores during the day when usage rates tend to be higher.
When we install solar panels, batteries and / or car chargers, we ALWAYS make sure that our installations are as neat and tidy as they can be. This means not just the big parts of the job such as panels and batteries, but making sure any visible cabling is straight and neat too. We pride oursleves making sure everything is seamless like this example of our recent installation.
Solar Panels with No Rails
These solar panels can be installed without the need for rails. This means the panels fix together, creating a neat and seamless finish.
Interested in the latest panels for your property?
For those that have thought about getting Solar PV Panels installed but have not quite got around to taking the plunge, we thought it might be helpful to be upfront and outline some of the potential issues. Are they a great power generator or too much of a pain to be worth the hassle?
We’ve asked our Solar PV Specialist Engineer to give us the low-down…
How Reliable are Solar PV Panels?
On the whole the actual panels themselves are usually very reliable. Obviously there are things that can go wrong, but this tends to be with the inverter rather than the solar panels.
What is the Inverter?
The inverter is an essential part of the solar panel infrastructure and converts the DC (direct current) voltage generated by the panel, into AC (alternating current) voltage that is utilised by the home or workplace.
What are the Unlikely Problems that Could Occur?
Issues with solar panels tend to be few and far between, but when they do occur they tend to be one of the following:
The glass on the panel has a crack or is broken
The panels are not producing electricity
The generator meter is not working
Panel performance is reduced
Electrical connection is poor
Accumulation of dust, dirt, and sand from the wind and rain
Are there any Proactive Measures that can be Taken to Ensure Optimum Performance?
It is important to schedule in some time periodically to assess the panels and the immediate environment where they reside. For example, you might find birds nesting under the panels, or damaged roof tiles shadowing some of the panels. Trees can also cause shadowing, especially if it has been a while since the panels were installed.
How Much Power can the PV Panels Produce?
There are quite a few variables that can have an effect on power production. Some of these variables include where you live, the amount of ambient light available, the angle the panels are installed at, the power of the panels (because these can vary), and other variables like broken tiles and trees causing shadows as mentioned above.
However, if you were to install eleven solar panels (all south facing), you could expect to generate 4KW of which 3KW will be usable energy. Appliances in your home that are permanently on such as fridge freezer, lights, TV, router can be taken care of with the energy produced from solar, and any surplus can be stored in battery storage.
Conclusion
With maximum reliability, it is worth investing in solar panels. Not only are they very reliable but there are things you can do proactively to ensure continual maximum efficiency.
A set of eleven is enough to run your ‘everyday’ items in your home, but this doesn’t include kettles or ovens which often use a large spike of electricity and so will take the power from the grid.
Ultimately, it is about saving money with rising energy costs but its also about doing your bit for the environment. With the reliability being high and the power providing real benefit it is definitely worth considering.
UK Green Energy Installations utilise all the tools available for Solar PV surveys to ensure they obtain all of the exacting information required to make assessments and reports. Tools for Solar PV surveys include utilising drones to assess the roof, which provides information from a safety perspective for access, as well as providing a comprehensive view of the roof for maximum capacity.
