Solar Panels - Solar Electric - PV

SOLAR ELECTRIC PV - PHOTOVOLTAIC

Sunlight is all you need to get electricity from the panels.









Is solar electricity suitable for my home?

• A solar PV system should face between south east and south west, and be free of shade.
• They should be angled at 30 to 40 degrees for optimum performance.
• Solar PV systems need virtually no maintenance and are estimated to last 40 years.
• Typically a 1kWp system will generate an average of 850kWh of power in the UK.
  
• Most domestic systems are between 1.5 and 4 kWp.

Cash Back Incentives

The feed-in tariff

Also known as the Clean Energy Cashback is paid to encourage installations of renewable electricity schemes of up to 5MW capacity

How it works

• You receive a fixed payment from your electricity supplier for every kilowatt hour (kWh) your system generates. (generation tariff)
• Current generation tariff for solar photovoltaic panels:
  
• 21p for installations of less than 4kW
• up to 16.8p for installations 4kW to 5MW 

• All paid for 25 years.
• A guaranteed price for any surplus electricity that you do not use on site, and export to the grid, also paid by your electricity supplier. (export tariff)
• The export tariff is currently 3.1p per kWh.

The payments are tax-free and index-linked, and will continue for a 25 year period. To qualify for this feed-in tariff you must use a MCS accredited installer and product.

How does solar electricity work?

• Photovoltaic cells use semi-conducting material to convert solar radiation into electricity.
• National grid connected systems can export electricity they don’t use to the grid, and import it from the grid when there is not enough sunlight
• Off-grid systems can be used in conjunction with other sources of power such as biomass boilers, wind or hydro turbines.