Home Solar Panel Installation

UK energy prices are constantly on the rise and many people struggle to power their homes as well as keep up with numerous other household bills. The creation of solar panels for use on domestic properties has given homeowners the chance to generate free electricity and heat that can put an end to large fuel bills or at the least, significantly reduce them.

Types of home solar panel installation

There are two main types of home solar panel installation systems, these are solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal; the former generates electricity while the latter provides hot water.

Solar PV panels are the costlier option of the two but are able to produce greater savings; there are also financial incentives in place to make solar PV more appealing to homeowners. A typical solar PV installation system is likely to cost between £8000-£14000 but will meet a large amount of your annual electricity needs. Hardware stores such as B&Q and Wickes also sell panels aimed at the DIY installer; these can be a lot cheaper in price but should not be installed without experience and expertise.

A feed-in tariff scheme for domestic properties allows anyone with solar PV to sell any un-used electricity back to the national grid. This scheme was set up to contribute to the cost of home solar panel installation and provide cash payments that go towards the cost of a loan taken out for the panels.

Solar Thermal panels use sunlight to heat up water in the home. This type of system is a lot cheaper at around £3000-£5000 but the savings are not as great and you will still a boiler or immersion heater in place for days when sunlight is unavailable. A solar thermal system is likely to save you £60 -£90 each year on water-heating bills and can provide around a third of a typical three bedroom households hot water needs.

A new incentive being put in place by the government in October 2012 called the Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI) will encourage more households to install solar thermal systems and will provide them with quarterly tariff payments based on renewable heat produced.

Advantages and disadvantages or home solar panel installation

If you are thinking of opting for home solar panel installation it is important that it is the right option for you. There are both positives and negatives to solar panel installation.

Advantages:

No planning permission needed in England. Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland are this initiative.
No further costs after installation
Solar PV systems only require daylight and not sunlight
Reduces annual fuel bills significantly
Financial incentives available
Reduces carbon footprint
Both types of solar panel require very little maintenance

Disadvantages

Home solar panel installation can be expensive
Southwest to southeast location is needed for the system to be installed
Roof may need to be re-strengthened to take the weight of panels
Climate and solar light hours will effect efficiency of the system
A large area of space is needed to install panels