What Type of Solar Panel Installation Do I Choose
Solar energy is becoming popular across the world and is being used more and more as an alternative to fossil fuels; this in turn helps to reduce the amount of dangerous gases being pumped into the earth’s atmosphere on a daily basis. Solar panels are the best way to create your own renewable energy and aside from helping the environment they also make excellent financial sense, giving people the chance to slash ever increasing energy bills. A commonly asked question by people considering switching to renewable solar energy is “what type of solar panel installation do I choose?” This article will look at the choices available to you.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels
The answer to “what type of solar panel installation do I choose?” will really depend on what you want from your solar panels. There are two types of solar panel systems, these are: solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal.
Solar PV are panels which will use daylight to generate electricity; this is done when sunlight shines upon a solar cell which causes the release of electrons in turn creating an electrical current.
Solar PV panels can be installed pretty much anywhere as long as they are in a position of 90 degrees of south.
If you are looking for the answer to “what type of solar panel installation do I choose?” to make financial sense then solar PV panels will make an excellent choice. PV panels in the UK will cost around £8000-£14000 to install. This is a large amount of money to part with at one time but the rewards on offer make it more than worthwhile.
Solar PV panels are able to provide anywhere from 40%-100% of your yearly electrical needs. An average system on a three bedroom family home will save around £200 per year on energy bills. But it is a scheme called the feed-in tariff which makes most financial sense. The feed-in tariff pays you for any unused electric you have and returns the electric back to the national grid. This scheme can earn you around £1030 per year for 25 years, in some cases double the initial installation cost.
Solar thermal panels
Solar thermal panels are the most widely used in the UK and use sunlight to heat water which can be used for many purposes. Solar thermal comes in either flat plate panels or evacuated tubes. Flat plate panels act like a radiator with a glass covered insulated absorber. These panels are seen as less effective than the evacuated tube panels which allow water to pass through tubes backed with an absorber plate which can heat the water to higher levels.
The answer to “what type of solar panel installation do I choose?” in regards to making financial sense is that thermal panels do not have the benefits of PV panels. A thermal system will save you around £70-£90 per year and have a cheaper installation cost of around £3000-£5000, but does not have the benefit of the feed-in tariff payments.
