How Solar Works

Location, Location, Location is the key to Solar Power.

• Where in the UK is your property?
• Which way does your roof face?
• What obstructions are in the way?

Location: Where in the UK is your property?

The further south you are the more daylight you get.
Solar panels will work anywhere in the UK.
You get a better performance in the South.
Solar Panels work even when it is a cloudy day.

Location: Which way does your roof face?

A south facing roof with a 30º slope is best.
But, it doesn’t need to be directly South.

Table shows the percentage variation in output when orientation and tilt differ from the optimum directly south facing roof with a 30º slope.

Location: What obstructions are in the way?

Solar Panels perform best when unshaded.

Shading early or late in the day is tolerable.

Shading a single panel adversely impacts system output.

Our qualified assessor will review your site for obstructions such as tall buildings, trees, and chimneys.

Solar Electricity Explained

1. Free power from the sun
2. Environmentally friendly Solar Panels convert the power to electricity
3. Useable electricity is created by the Inverter (DC current into AC current)
4. Safety is ensured by various isolator switches (some are lockable)
5. Your payments for generating electricity are based on the Solar Generation Meter readings
6. Automatic priority given to the free electricity via the Fuse Box Unit
7. No bills for using your appliances when powered by the Solar Panels
8. Your Professionally Certified Installation is connected to the grid
9. You get paid for exporting electricity (the amount is often deemed at 50% of the amount generated for small installations)

A brief Overview of the Science:

Solar Panels efficiently convert light into electricity

• Solar Panels use photovoltaic (PV) cells to silently convert light into electricity.
• Electricity is generated by the PV effect where photons of light cause electrons to agitate and move between layers of a semi-conducting material (e.g. silicon).
• A Solar Panel (or module) comprises many PV cells connected together encased between a sheet of glass and a polymer resin.

A tried and tested technology

• The PV effect was discovered in 1839 and Albert Einstein won a Nobel prize in 1921 for his theoretical explanation.
• The first silicon solar cell was constructed in 1941, and the first satellite powered by solar cells was launched in 1958.
• Solar cells now power a wide variety of items from satellites to calculators.

More space = More panels = A larger kWp system.

• Individual panels measure about 1m x 1.5m. They are connected to form an array.
• The size of a Solar System is measured in kilowatts peak (kWp).
• This is the rate of energy it generates at peak (e.g. midday in the Summer).
• The amount of electricity created is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh).
• A typical domestic system is 1.5 to 4 kWp; non-domestic systems are often larger.

You could create electricity equivalent to 80% of your use.

• Each kWp in a well-sited location should generate around 800 kWh per year.
• So, a domestic array should generate 1200 to 3200 kWh depending on size.
• An average home uses 4000 kWh per year according to The Energy Saving Trust.
• You can check your electricity bill to find the amount your property uses each year.

You could get paid a premium rate for electricity.

Electricity suppliers charge around 14p per kWh. Under the FiT incentive scheme, they will pay you 15.44p for each kWh you generate whether you use it or not.