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The sun is a truly renewable resource and is a constant and consistent source of energy for homes. The amount of energy it can produce for a domestic setting can be very impressive.
Solar Panels (Solar PV) systems aren’t just an advanced and established technology used to convert solar radiation into free electricity, but are also able to generate household revenue for you by selling unused electricity generated back to the grid.
The reduced reliance on fossil fuels is also a hugely attractive element to solar panel installation, and, as well as helping us to be environmentally committed to reducing our carbon footprint, it can’t be denied that they help you to reduce your electricity bill.
We will survey, and design the best system for your home based on your budget, power requirement and environmental needs, including panels, inverters, batteries and smart management systems.
We offer a price match guarantee on all like for like system quotes. All it takes is a quick phone call to check. We can even often specify a revised system that offers the same or better performance and guarantees for less.
With a few simple questions we can tell you how much energy you will be able to generate; how much of it you can realistically use yourself, and how much you will likely feed back into the grid and how grid independent you can be over the course of a year.
Solar modules, batteries and the designing and installation of the intelligent energy management systems that allow them to function is an investment, and homeowners and businesses alike need to know the costs and returns of their initial outlay.
With energy prices increasing, the timeframe for a return on that initial cost is becoming shorter and shorter, and as the technology becomes more established, solar arrays are capturing more of the Sun’s energy, and costing less to manufacture and install.
As part of any enquiry we will provide a full review of the potential returns and energy generation of your system, without any obligation to commit, and we’ll review and price match any quotes you may already have.
We will guarantee a price match on any like for like quote.
We’ll also review your design / quote and provide our feedback on what we would do differently – (if anything) – we’ll always praise a good design when we see one!) including where you could save money without potentially losing any performance or reliability.
The rules are simple – there’s no VAT on either the materials OR the installation of materials if supplied and installed together.
If you have materials supplied only, then you’ll need to pay 20% VAT.
In other words:
“The Zero rating for energy saving materials involves the supply/installation of energy saving goods. If solar panels are only supplied then the liability will be 20% but if they are supplied and installed then the liability would be zero rated for both the goods and the installation of the goods.”
Energy-saving materials and heating equipment (VAT Notice 708/6) Part 2.1
Zero-rated installations
From 1 April 2022 until 31 March 2027, the zero rate applies to the installation of certain specified energy-saving materials (read paragraph 2.12) in, or in the curtilage of, residential accommodation (read paragraph 2.23) in Great Britain.
From 1 May 2023 until 31 March 2027, the zero rate applies to the installation of certain specified energy-saving materials (read paragraph 2.12) in, or in the curtilage of, residential accommodation (read paragraph 2.23) in Northern Ireland.
2.11 Energy-saving materials covered by the reduced rate
Subject to one of the social policy conditions being satisfied or the 60% threshold not being exceeded, the following energy-saving materials when installed in residential accommodation in Great Britain between 1 October 2019 and 31 March 2022, and Northern Ireland between 1 October 2019 and 30 April 2023 were reduced-rated:
2.12 Energy-saving materials covered by the zero rate
The zero rate applies to the installation of the following energy-saving materials in residential accommodation in Great Britain between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2027, and in Northern Ireland from 1 May 2023 and 31 March 2027:
These energy-saving materials were included in the reduced rate prior to 1 October 2019 and will continue to be included in the reduced rate from 1 April 2027 onwards.
2.16 Solar panels
Solar panels include all systems that are installed in, or on the site of, a building and that are:
If you need more information on what is or isn’t included then please let us know.
All households are different, and estimates on savings will vary according to the type of property, the solar panel specification and of course how much energy you use.
As part of our survey we can advise you on the best system for your needs and how much money you could potentially save.
We’ll take into account:
There are more factors to consider, and we’ll let you know all the details as part of our design
Many people aren’t aware that the energy generated by solar panels needs to be used as it is generated, otherwise it will flow back into the national grid – unless you have a battery storage system to charge.
There are a host of options when it comes to battery storage, and batteries can be used for a surprising number of different needs.
For example:
Under the smart export guarantee (SEG) tariff, any excess energy you create and do not use can be sold back to the grid. Be warned though, all but a few providers offer poor tariff rates (typically around £0.05 per KWh).
You will need to have MCS approval to benefit from the SEG tariff, and we can help you to ensure you meet the relevant criteria.
Electric vehicle owners can use the energy generated by their solar panels to charge their electric car, this can be even more beneficial with the addition of a battery where energy captured during the day can be transferred to your car overnight.
The general rule is that it is much more financially beneficial to use the energy you generate than sell it back to the grid, so charging an EV is an ideal means of ensuring that as little of your harvested energy goes to waste as possible.
Remember – the energy you generate from your Solar panels is free – unlike the cost of a charging station or petrol forecourt!
It’s true, by switching your energy usage to solar you massively reduce your carbon footprint.
Solar power can account for over 50% of your annual household electricity consumption – and any of the electricity you feed back into the grid is 100% renewable.
Combined with a heat pump or other electrically powered heating and water system and a suitable battery storage solution, you can become far less grid dependent and therefore more carbon-neutral as a consumer of electricity.
We like to do our bit too – which is why we’re a carbon negative company. Get in touch to learn more.
Well, it’s not quite as simple as that, but once your system is installed, all your energy usage from your own solar panels and battery is effectively free.
So even if energy prices continue to rise, you can be confident the impact of this on your home outgoings will be minimal. You can also take advantage of buying energy during low periods and using it to charge your battery, so you never need to pay the peak premium rates again.
In actual fact one of the biggest reasons to invest in solar is because we know for certain that energy prices will only continue to rise.
And each time they do, the effective amount you save increases, meaning you pay off your solar panel investment faster, the more the energy prices increase.
Find out more by speaking with one of our energy saving experts.
Home buyers are as energy conscious as you are, and homes with a modern solar energy system, EV charging or renewable heating system are not only likely to command a higher price, but are also likely to be easier to sell quickly.
Prospective buyers will also understand and appreciate the reduced energy costs, and your solar energy performance forecast provided by us can be used as part of your seller’s information pack.
Get in touch to find out more.
Solar PV panels simply convert the energy of the sun into usable electricity.
The PV panels are usually installed on the roof of your property and would ideally face towards a south east to south west direction.
Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells which are linked together to make a panel (often called PV modules) that convert the sun’s energy into electricity.
Photovoltaic cells are sandwiched between layers of semi-conducting materials. A typical construction would use silicon – with the most efficient technology being mono crystalline construction. You can tell if they’re mono crystalline by the small diamond shapes between each cell on a module.
Each layer has different electronic properties that react when hit by photons from sunlight, creating an electric field.
This is known as the photoelectric effect – and this creates the current needed to produce electricity.
When we string multiple modules together, we call it a solar array – this is what you see on the roofs of properties and businesses up and down the country. Arrays can be mounted on rails above the tiles or slates of a roof, or sunken into the roof structure – an ‘in-building’ array. Arrays can also be ground mounted or flat-roof mounted.
Solar panels generate a direct current of electricity (DC current) rather than an alternating current (AC current). To use the electricity generated by your solar panels in your home, this DC current needs to be converted to an AC current.
To do this, the DC electricity is passed through an inverter to convert it into an AC current, which can be fed into the National Grid or used by the home or business that the solar panels are attached to.
You can learn more by getting in touch with us – we love to chat about how this fantastic technology works.
Yes they do. Solar panels react to the visible light spectrum. This means, if it’s light enough to see, there’s enough light for them to start generating electricity. This even means they’ll generate a small amount of energy when there’s a full moon.
You need to bear in mind though – the stronger the sunlight, the more power solar panels will generate.
Other considerations include shading – a shaded module will produce less energy than a module in direct sunlight, and this variation will need balancing when designing a system to stop loads being created on parts of the array.
It’s also important to avoid Northerly aspects, solar arrays should always be angled no more than 90 degrees from south, and ideally at a pitch between 30 and 40 degrees (though you can still get useable energy from most angles – all the way up to vertical (wall mounted) and flat mounted arrays.
But
Solar panels produce more electricity in the summer, which can make it seem like they need warmer weather to work. It is true that stronger sunlight produces more photons (and this is usually on hotter days). But in reality – it’s just that stronger sunlight and warmer temperatures often go hand in hand. In fact, if the temperature gets too hot (or too cold), they become less efficient.
Because we get over 8 hours of sunlight a day all year round and don’t often experience extreme temperatures, the UK is well suited to solar power.
The best conditions for an array’s maximum efficiency are actually on cold bright days, allowing the panels to stay relatively cool and therefore perform better.
Solar Panels can generate a practical and useable amount of energy.
Did you know that more than 14.6GW of solar panels have been installed in the UK – over 4 times more energy than the UK’s largest fossil fuel power station.
Solar panels can be installed in a wide range of places.
From large solar farms that not only generate clean energy but also provide an undisturbed habitat for bees, butterflies and wildlife, to rooftop panels in towns, houses and city centres that can help fight fuel poverty and provide green energy for domestic use.
They don’t create any noise pollution while generating electricity.
This means that installations aren’t intrusive – whether they’re in crowded urban locations or quiet rural ones.
Solar panels are incredibly safe.
They’re mostly made from silicon sheets, and there’s no danger of the photovoltaic cells leaking or emitting any toxins or fumes.
For a fully qualified design and installation quote, as well as to answer any questions you may have, just fill in the form and an expert will be in touch to discuss how we can help.
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