Find a Solar Panel Installer you can trust in Kirkcudbright.

Solar cells , also referred to as photovoltaic cells (PV), absorbs energy from the sun and converts it to generate electricity. This, however, should not be confused with photovoltaic thermal cells or PVT which operates to generate heat for water in homes. Solar cells are linked electrically and also carefully organized into a large frame which is popularly called solar panels. Generally, solar cells are produced or made of silicon semi conductors which works to absorb sunlight and then turn it into electricity for use at a home. A solar panel comprises of either 60 or 72 solar cells which are electrically interconnected in series and parallel and also positioned in between glass and plastic which is then framed.

At present, solar panels incorporated for residential or domestic purposes only possesses the capacity to make use of only about 20 percent of the sunlight they’re able to absorb and convert it to electricity - also called solar efficiency. Available in the market are also a wide range of solar cell available for both industrial and commercial purposes. This type of solar panels have an efficiency rating of about 40 percent which will also automatically make them more costly than the domestic types.

One great thing about the solar industry is the fact that it keeps improving in such a way that raises both its efficiency as well as overall quality. And with further research and development, this is expected to even increase as the years go by. What’s more? As these aspects keep rising, it’s also expected that the solar panels price should be on a decrease. That way, they’ll become available to a wider range of individuals who’ll also like to save money on electricity bills and go greener.

Commercial solar panels installation companies are everywhere. However, it’ll be a great mistake to think finding one nearby for your project would be the least of your worries, as both cost and reliability comes into question. This is even more worrisome when you’re fully aware that your solar system potentials can only be fully maximized depending on how well it’s installed and how good your installer is. If you’re also facing the same challenge, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll share with you some tips on how to choose a nearby professional and reliable commercial solar panel installer who’ll ensure you get immense value for every penny spent. Let’s take a look!

• Ask for recommendations. Personal recommendations is always the best way to go, when looking for a commercial solar panel installer or any other tradesperson for that matter. Installation of a commercial solar system is a major undertaking which comes with a lot of costs, so if you’re going to do it the least you can do is ensure you do it right. Carry out your research, ask friends and family, neighbours and loved ones if the know of any reliable commercial solar panel installer in the local area. If they have one they’ve used, you can request for the cost, quality of the job done, the duration of the project and any other detail you feel you should know.
• Internet. In modern times, you’ll hardly find a progressive-minded business without an online presence. As a result, finding a service on the internet is as simple as it gets. A simple Google search have been helping people find their desired service providers with relative ease for so long. Or use the Quotatis directory to find a commercial solar installer. To get the right commercial solar panel installer online, it’s advisable to check their reviews as well as testimonials before moving forward.

How long your solar panels will last depends on their age and quality. Most modern solar panels have 20-30 year warranties, but this doesn’t mean that they’ll stop working at this point. Many will stay at a good efficiency level for up to 40 years, while others will start to decline earlier.

To have your solar panels working at full strength at all times is crucial as this can go a long way to help you reduce your energy bill. In order to achieve this, you simply can’t afford to ignore having them regularly cleaned and free from all sorts of dirt, dust, debris, pollen, bird droppings and the likes. Now it’s quite reasonable to think rain or wind should be able to get the job done, but unfortunately this is not so. What solar panels need is a proper clean which you can decide to do by yourself or call in a qualified professional – the latter which is strongly recommended.

Cleaning of solar panels has to do with working at heights which can be very dangerous especially if you don’t have enough confidence to pull it off. And even if you have zero phobia for heights, solar panel cleaning requires experience as well as some specialized skills and tools possessed by the professionals. However, the question here is, how often should solar panels be cleaned to keep them operating at optimal efficiency?

Well, according to the manufacturers, solar panels should be cleaned twice a year. However, if this is something that you feel is not achievable by you, then you should at least give then an annual clean. The best or most advisable time to do this during the year is at the end of the summer months. This will ensure that you have a fully functioning solar array which is ready and prepared to withstand whatever the cold period throws at you. At the end of the day, you’d have them looking spotless clean while also working at full strength and reducing your energy bills.

How To Install Solar Panels And Batteries

Have you decide to purchase a solar system for your home and wondering how to go about the installation? If yes, then we’ve got you covered! In recent times, it’ll be totally safe to say that solar panels and batteries for home use in the UK has now become more of a necessity than a luxury considering the numerous benefits the system offers. However, with the cost of having the system installed, you might be forced to think about the doing the installation yourself.

If you lack proper training and experience in the solar system installation process, it’s advisable to hire the services of a qualified technician who can guarantee the best results the first time and help you save time and extra costs that may result from possible costly errors. Here, we’ll give you a good insight into the installation process.

• Mount the solar panel and ensure it’s properly screwed to your roof. Try to position in such a way that it faces direct sun rays to have enough solar power generated.

• Connect your charge controller. The current that’s being generated by the solar panels will not be stable all day long. As a result, it’s important to avoid connecting solar photo voltaic modules directly to your better, if you don’t want it damaged. To control the current received from the solar panels, the charge controller is required. It has three connecting points - one for the battery, one for the solar panels and the last for Direct Current (DC) identify the one for solar panels and connect accordingly.

• Connect the battery to charge controller. The charge controller possess two terminals for the battery - the positive and negative terminals. Connect the positive terminal to the positive of the battery and also do the same for the negative.

Solar energy is renewable, as the sunlight it uses won’t run out. This means that it’s a great way to generate electricity without damaging the planet. So, installing solar panels to generate solar energy can be a great move for businesses looking to reduce their carbon emissions.

It’s important to get the right size solar panel system for your commercial property. Solar panels are usually installed on pitched roofs, although they can be fitted on stands on the ground if you have some unused outdoor space. The more panels you install, the more power you’ll generate, but there’s no point buying more panels than you have space for.

Solar panel system sizes are measured in kW. 4-10kW solar panel systems are usually too big for domestic properties but are ideal for smaller commercial properties. Here’s an idea of how many panels and space you’ll need for a few different system sizes:

System size, Number of panels, Area required (approximate)

4kW, 16, 23m²

6kW, 24, 35m²

8kW, 32, 46m²

10kw, 40, 58m²

Bear in mind that solar panels can’t be less than 30cm away from a roof edge, so you’ll need more space than the area that the panels take up.

One of the things that has been on the UK government’s agenda for some time now is to promote the use of renewable energy sources. In fact, the Renewable Energy Directive put out by the EU instructs all member countries to achieve a 20 percent renewable target before the year 2020. The UK’s commitment to this objective has been made quite glaring with a number of funding options that has been put in place to help business owners looking to solar panels on their properties. This commitment was also showcased by a reduction in the cost of solar panels, so new investors have little to worry about. Although there aren’t any grants in the conventional sense, but there are opportunities for solar panel funding in the UK. At present, the only scheme open to new applications is the SEG - Smart Export Guarantee which came into effect on 1st January, 2020.

In general, there are four notable incentives in the UK for solar panels which includes the aforementioned Smart Export Guarantee, Reduced VAT on Energy Saving Products, Feed-in Tariff ( no longer open to new applications ), as well as the Renewable Heat Incentive ( RHI - applies only to solar water heating ).

Being the only one still open to new applications, we’ll provide you with some insights on SEG. The Smart Export Guarantee allows small scale low-carbon electricity generators to receive payments for surplus energy they’re able to export back to the grid. Although, this is not a direct government scheme, all licensed suppliers are necessitated to offer an export tariff to their customers. Those suppliers with more than 150,000 customers are obligated to offer a tariff, while the suppliers with fewer customers can partake on a voluntary basis.