Photovoltaic Solar Panel Installation

Ever increasing energy bills and the growing problem with carbon emissions has led to an increase in the amount of people looking to install solar panels both domestically and commercially. Solar panels are giving people the chance to cut back on their reliance of fossil fuels and slash energy bills. The most popular method of solar energy is photovoltaic solar panel installation.

What are photovoltaic solar panels?

Photovoltaic (PV) solar panel installation uses the free energy from the sun to generate electricity in a home that can be used to power appliances and lighting; photovoltaic cells are used to create the electricity. The cells are made up of two silicon layers which are semiconducting, once the light shines onto the cell an electric field is created across the two layers, the stronger the sunlight, the more energy generated.

There are many variations on the PV solar panels and they can be designed to look like everyday roof tiles or transparent to be used on glass roofs like conservatories.
The four main types of Photovoltaic panels are:

Amorphous Silicon
Hybrid
Polycrystalline
Monocrystalline

Hybrid and monocrystalline panels are the most efficient on the market in terms of how much of the sun’s energy used for electric whereas polycrystalline and amorphous silicon panels are a lot cheaper to purchase.

What savings can be made?

The savings that can be made from photovoltaic solar panel installation are what set it apart from alternative solar energy methods such as water heating panels. PV solar panels can provide up to half of all your electricity needs for the year, this equates into hundreds of pounds in savings on bills.

Many people are put off by the installation prices which can amount to between £8000-£14000; this is a lot for anyone to pay out at one time or get a loan to cover. For this reason the government came up with a scheme which is designed to give people the chance to make money off their solar panel system. The scheme is called the feed-in tariff and allows anyone generating their own renewable energy to sell any electricity unused back to the national grid, the payments received will be enough to pay for the cost of installation based on a 25 year loan. Up to 43.3p p/kWh can be made from solar power produced. Savings on energy bills combined with earnings from the feed-in system can easily amount to over £1000 per year.

As-well as the financial savings to be made, there are also massive savings to be had in terms of carbon emissions. A typical PV solar panel system can save a household around 1.2 tonnes of CO2 each year.

Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS)

When looking for a company to provide your photovoltaic solar panel installation you should make sure that they are accredited by the MCS, this will ensure a quality product and a professional service. An MCS accredited installer is also required to sign off a solar panel system so that customers are eligible for the feed-in tariff.