• Solar Panels UK

    Complete this form for a no-obligation solar panels quote

  • The Benefits of Solar Panels

    Solar panels take advantage of a powerful yet free energy source - the sun. In a single hour, the sun transmits more energy to the earth's surface than the world uses in a year.

     

    You can make use of this free source of energy to generate electricity and hot water for your home or business.

    Reduce Your Energy Bills

    With fuel bills rising year-on-year, there's never been a better time to take control of your home or business energy provision. Furthermore, installation costs have dropped significantly in recent years, making solar panels a viable option.

    Make Money With The Feed-In-Tariff

    PV Solar Panels allow you to earn money from the government's feed-in-tariff. The system is simple; surplus energy produced by your solar panels can be sold back to the grid earning you money. Talk to one of our advisors for more information.

    Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

    By generating your own electricity and producing your own hot water, you're reducing your reliance on fossil fuels which are both bad for the environment and becoming scarce.

    Add Value To Your Home

    Installing solar penls has the added benefit of making your home more attractive to prospective buyers, making it easier to attract a premium when you sell.

    Go Off-Grid!

    If your home or business is in a remote location, you may find solar energy and cheaper alternative than paying to be connected!

  • How Do Solar Panels Work?

    There are two main types of solar panels. While they might look similar, and both consist of panels on your roof, solar water heating and solar PV are quite different.

    This video gives an insight into how solar PV panels work.

    Solar PV and Solar Hot Water Panels Explained

    Solar PV Panels take the light energy from the sun and convert it into electricity for use in your home or business and/or export onto the grid.

     

    Solar panels are made of a thin layer of semi-conducting material between a sheet of glass and a polymer resin. When exposed to daylight, the semi-conducting material becomes 'energised' and this produces electricity.

     

    The are four basic types of PV panel: monocrystalline, polycrystalline, hybrid and amorphous silicon. All are made from silicon, but differ in the way the silicon is cut and treated.

     

    Solar Water Heating Panels take the light and heat energy from the sun to heat water for use in your heating system as well as hot water supply.

  • Solar Panels Cost

    What is the cost of solar panels?

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    Solar PV Panels Cost

    Free electricity - solar power system from as little as £5,000

    Prices for solar PV systems vary depending on the size and type of the system, as well as the structure of the building where the panels will be installed.

     

    An average PV system of 4kWp (kilowatt peak) costs about £5,000 to £8,000, with solar tiles working out more expensive than conventional solar panels.

     

    The more electricity the system can generate, the higher the savings – but the bigger the initial cost. In addition to the savings on your bill, you'll get paid under the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme for generating your own electricity.

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    Solar Thermal Panels Cost

    Free hot water - solar thermal systems from £3,000

    Solar water heating panels typically cost between £3,000 and £5,000, and will potentially save you between £65 and £125 a year on water heating costs. There are bigger savings to be made if you're currently using LPG (liquid petroleum gas) to heat your water.

     

    The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a government scheme that pays consumers for generating heat by using renewable energy. But in order to qualify for the RHI, your home will need to meet minimum energy-efficiency standards.

  • Solar Panels Suitability

    Is your home or business suitable for solar power?

    Things to consider before installing solar panels

    Solar panels are worth considering if you have a mainly south-facing roof with little or no shade, and you aren't thinking of moving home in the near future.

     

    Although a south-facing roof would yield the best power output, a southwest or southeast-facing roof should also be fine - but you'd get less power out of the system.

     

    How much energy you could produce with solar panels - and therefore how much money you could make - will depend on:

    • The tilt angle of your roof and its orientation
    • Where you live: the South West gets more sun than the North. This could impact the amount of electricity your system will generate, although not too significantly.

     

    If the solar panels are to be installed on your roof, it's likely that you're going to need scaffolding erected for the installation. Make sure you check with the surveyor that there is space to install scaffolding and that the quote includes the cost of it.

     

    Once the scaffolding is up, the panels could be installed in less than a day. Roofers will attach the fixing brackets onto the rafters of your roof - this is why a proper surveyor should go into your loft to check the integrity of the roof and the rafters. The solar panels will then be clamped onto the fixing brackets.

     

    A solar water heating system involves solar panels, pipe work, a thermostat and a hot water cylinder.

     

    You can add solar water heating panels to most existing hot water systems, although you'll usually need to add an additional cylinder for pre-heated water, or change your existing cylinder for one with a twin coil. Speak to your supplier for further details.

  • Solar Panels for Home and Business

    Generate electricity and hot water for your home or business.

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    Domestic

    Solar Power For Your Home

    If you've got a roof with a southerly aspect, you could be generating a significant amount of your energy requirements.

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    Commercial

    Solar Power For You Company

    Businesses have a significant reliance on energy. Reduce the impact on your bottom line with a solar solution.

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    Solar Farms

    Generate Solar Power On Your Land

    Install solar PV panels on your land to generate an income generating electricity.

  • Best Solar Panels

    What are the different types of solar panels?

    Best Solar PV Panels

    PV panels will differ in efficiency (how much of the sun's energy is used by the system per unit area) and in price.

    • Monocrystalline cells tend to be more efficient than polycrystalline cells (13-17% efficiency)
    • Polycrystalline cells can be cheaper than monocrystalline cells, but are a bit less efficient (11-15% efficiency)
    • Hybrid cells combine crystalline cells with another cell type, called thin film. This makes the panels even more efficient (17%+), but they cost more.

     

    So, when deciding which type of solar cells to go for, it's best to look at cost per watt (£/W) of power output. You can do this by dividing the total cost of the solar system you are being quoted for by the total power output of the system.

    Best Solar Thermal Panels

    There are two main types of solar water heating panels – flat plate and evacuated tubes (referring to the way in which water interacts with the panel). Evacuated tubes are more efficient than flat-plate versions, so are often smaller but generate equal amounts of hot water.

     

    There are also drainback systems. These drain water from inside the solar panel when the pump is switched off to prevent water freezing or boiling inside the solar panel.

  • Request A Quote Today

    Contact us today for your free, no obligation quote.

  • Further Facts & Information

    Solar PV Panels Advantages & Disadvantages

    Advantages of solar PV

    • only daylight is needed to create energy – not sunshine
    • can be connected to the national grid and any excess electricity sold back to an electricity company
    • can cut an average household electricity bill by about 40%
    • provides additional income, as the Feed-in Tariff provides cash payments to households that produce their own electricity using a renewable technology.

    Disadvantages of solar PV

    • more expensive to buy and install than solar water systems
    • high initial outlay: typically £5,000 to £8,000 for a 4kWp system
    • efficiency depends on the number of solar light hours and climate
    • initial costs are higher than for conventional electric and gas-heater systems
    • unshaded, south-facing location is needed for installation
    • solar panels can be heavy, so your roof must be strong enough to take their weight. This is especially the case if the solar panel is to be installed on top of existing tiles.

    Solar Thermal Panels Advantages & Disadvantages

    Advantages of solar water heating systems

    • solar water heating can provide you with about a third of your hot water needs
    • solar water heating can save you between £65 a year (if you have gas central heating) and £125 (if you use LPG) on your water heating costs
    • maintenance costs are very low - most solar water heating systems come with a five to 10-year warranty and require little maintenance
    • uses the sun’s heat - so there are no further costs once you've had the equipment installed, except, in most cases, a small amount of electricity needed to run the pump. In most systems, the pumping cancels out only about 8% of the energy savings, and newer technology can reduce this to 3% or even zero
    • in England, planning permission for most solar water installations is no longer needed - and governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are currently discussing introducing similar initiatives
    • the RHI provides payments to owners of solar heating systems.

    Disadvantages of solar water heating systems

     

    • you'll still need a boiler or immersion heater to make the water hotter, or provide hot water when solar energy isn't available (on overcast days, for example)
    • an unshaded, mainly south-facing location is necessary for positioning the solar panels
    • initial costs are higher than for conventional electric and gas-heater systems
    • solar panels can be heavy, so your roof must be strong enough to take their weight. Especially if the panel is to be installed on top of existing tiles
    • the cost of a typical solar water heating system is between £3,000-£5,000 - a fairly expensive solution. Although the RHI does provide some financial help
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