Solar Panels

Here are just some of the numerous benefits of solar panels:

Requires little or no maintenance: Domestic solar panels hardly require any maintenance. They only need to be cleaned once every 6 months while the inverters need to be replaced every 5–10 years, depending on the usage. This means very little has to be spent on the maintenance and repair of solar panels in addition to the initial cost.

Comparatively safer: Compared to traditional sources of energy, solar power is safe and secure to use and maintain.

Renewable Energy: Solar energy is renewable. It is available in almost every corner of the world and therefore, sustainable, conserving non-renewable sources of energy when used instead.

Solar panels function by converting sunlight into electricity. Before you buy solar panels in the UK, here is a glimpse into how they work.

• Photovoltaic Panels (PV): The PV cells in the panel work by absorbing energy from the sunlight. An internal electrical field in the cell helps in the creation of electrical charges from the absorbed energy, resulting in the flow of electricity.
• Concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP): This technology mainly uses mirrors. These mirrors concentrate sunlight and store it in a receiver that contains a high-temperature fluid. The concentrated sunlight then heats this fluid. This heat is nothing but thermal energy which is then used to power an engine or spin a turbine to generate electricity.

Most home solar panels in the UK tend to last for decades. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) states that solar panels can last for up to 30 years. It is also said that the average degradation rate of solar panels sits at 0.50%. In other words, even after 30 years, your solar panels can provide at least 89% of their initial output.

To power a typical household’s energy consumption, an average household may need 16–25 solar panels in the UK. The number of solar panels you need is based on a number of factors that differ from one household to the next. These factors include:

• Household energy use
• Home location
• Roof size
• Roof angle, etc.

Residential solar panels in the UK are generally fixed to the roof with the help of mounting systems that use screws or bolts. There are ways to fix solar panels without drilling holes, too. You will have to use adhesives or clamp-based mounting systems instead. These systems make use of brackets and clamps that are specially designed to hold the panels on your roof without drilling holes in them.

Eco Angels promises to mount solar panels safely without causing any damage to the roof.  Panels installed by inexperienced homeowners can cause significant damage in the long run. We believe that drilling holes is an incorrect way of fixing solar panels as it can compromise the integrity of your roof.

In most cases, if the solar panels are being installed in a private house, you do not need any sort of planning permission before installation. That being said, there are exceptions to the rule. Certain types of properties such as listed buildings and properties in conservation areas may require planning permissions for solar panel installations. This is to ensure that the installation of solar panels does not negatively impact the surrounding area, be it in appearance or functionality. It is always best to cross-check with your local authority to confirm if you need planning permission for the installation of home solar panels in the UK before installation.

Yes, it does. Houses with solar panels installed generally sell for £1,891 more than those without solar panels. The difference in value between houses that run on solar power and those without a green energy source is likely to become wider in the coming years as more and more people choose solar and other forms of renewable energy to protect the environment. As solar non-profit trade association, Solar Energy UK, says: “Solar property commands a price premium of c. 0.9%–2%.”.

Although they are more effective in direct sunlight, photovoltaic or PV panels use direct as well as indirect sunlight to generate power. Your panels will keep working even when sunlight is reflected or partially blocked by clouds. Rain can also help keep your panels working efficiently as it washes away all dust or dirt on the panels. Moreover, any excess energy generated by your solar panels during the day will offset any energy used at night when the system isn’t operating at full capacity.

A solar PV installation is a one-time investment and hardly requires any significant  ongoing maintenance costs. In addition, solar panels often come with a promise of 20+ years of service, thereby resulting in a high return on investment. The returns on PV solar panels in the UK are comparatively higher than all other forms of renewable energy. It is also one of the most promising and safest forms of investment, given that it has the potential to provide a 20–30% ROI over longer periods of time.

You might want to use a solar monitoring system. This technology tracks both your energy production and usage in real-time. The system will also alert you if there are dips in output or other problems with batteries or individual panels. We, at Eco Angels, offer top-notch solar monitoring systems along with a range of other solar supplies in the UK.