Find a Solar Panel Installer you can trust in Ashford.

Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells. These cells are made from silicon semiconductors, which absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity.

There are three main types of PV cell: monocrystalline solar cells, polycrystalline solar cells, and thin film solar cells. Monocrystalline cells are usually the most efficient and expensive, and thin film solar cells are the cheapest and least efficient. These are all made from silicone, but are manufactured in different ways.

With the numerous benefits that comes with the installation of solar panels, it should not be an option for just a few just because of the size and/or pitch of their roof. A number of individuals with flat roofs decide against solar panels due to the fact that they believe that the panels can’t be installed due to the lack of direct sunlight. However, in truth, this thought is absolutely incorrect. This is because it is actually very possible to fit solar panels on flat roofs and you can also benefit from a good amount of electricity that’ll be generated over time. In this post, we’re going to look at the possibilities involved in the installation of commercial solar panels on a flat roof. Let’s get started!

In reality, flat roof solar systems are mostly found on commercial buildings as their roof is typically made to be flat. Although, it’s important to note that it’s absolutely possible for them to be fitted on domestic properties too. The type of solar array that’s installed makes use of the same type of solar panel as a conventional system, however, there are some considerations that’ll have to be made moving forward. The array must be able to self clean during the rainy season while also avoiding damage whenever there’s a strong wind. The installation company you choose should take the pitch of the system into account, so as to make sure that its able to capture as much energy from the sun as possible. And that’s exactly why you should consider the use of thin film solar cells which are very flexible and moves with the sun as the day goes by, securing as much sunlight as possible as its always in direct light.

The more you’re at home during the day, the more you can save on your electricity bill, since solar panels generate electricity during the day. The Feed-in Tariff scheme (FITs) ended in March 2019, but the new Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) pays you, via your energy supplier, for the electricity you export back to the grid. With the savings involved in generating your own electricity and SEG payments, you can expect to save up to £390 per year on your electricity bill.

If you want to connect solar panels to a battery, it’s likely that it’s because you want to make sure that you don’t waste any electricity when your solar panels are generating energy but you’re not around to use it. Batteries are particularly useful for homeowners that have solar panels but are out during daylight hours; with a solar battery system, your solar panels will feed the electricity they generate into the battery for you to use when you get home.

If you want to connect your solar panels to a battery, the best thing to do is to get in touch with an MCS-registered company who can talk you through your options. There are different size batteries and the size that’s suitable for you will depend on how much electricity you plan to store and how large your solar panel system is. Some of the top brands of battery storage system include Tesla, SunPower and SolarEdge. If you want to be able to take advantage of selling electricity back to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), it’s worth getting an MCS-registered company to install your battery for you, as you may not be eligible for payments if you connect your solar panels to a battery yourself.

You should also consider whether your solar panel system is a ‘storage ready’ solar system. Today, most systems will be, since battery storage is becoming much more common. This means that your solar panel system will have an inverter that can easily integrate a battery. If this is the case, you should be able to purchase the battery you want and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to install it.

However, it’s worth bearing in mind that electricity is extremely dangerous when handled incorrectly. If something goes wrong, you could electrocute yourself or cause a fire. If your solar panels and battery cause a fire, it’s unlikely that your home insurance company would pay out if you connect the battery yourself. That's why it’s best to ask a reputable installer with all the correct qualifications to connect your solar panels to a battery for you.

If you’re thinking of adding a solar battery to your home, you might be wondering whether or not it’s going to work in a power cut. If yes, then you’re not alone as this is one of the most common questions asked when it comes to solar batteries. In this post, we aim to provide you with a detailed answer to solve this concern once and for all.

The answer to this question is, it depends. The main reason why your solar batteries will usually not work or provide your home with the much-needed back up power is as a result of the several threats it poses. You should be aware that both your solar panels and battery are connected to the main grid. When a power cut occurs, your engineers will have to operate on the grid. If the solar panels or batteries are in operation at the period there’s a high chance the engineers would be electrocuted by the electricity that’s being produced. As a result of this, solar inverters are usually designed to automatically switch off once a power cut occurs. However, it should also be noted that if your solar battery possesses backup functionality, you’ll be able to make use of your solar energy in the event of a power cut. In other words, what determines if your home battery would work in a power cut is the availability or otherwise of a backup functionality.

Furthermore, you might also wish to know if your solar panels will continue to charge the battery in a power cut. Well, this depends on the type of backup system you possess. There are some more affordable batteries that are designed to automatically release their stored energy upon the detection of a power cut. And this is mostly because the battery inverter is usually smaller than the solar inverter which allows the energy from the solar inverter to the transmitted to the battery - risking an overload. However, if otherwise, then energy can continue to be transmitted to the battery until its fully charged.

Just like other major house improvement projects, some specific requirements must be met to allow for the installation of solar panels on commercial buildings. The main reason why these standards and regulations were established is to minimize the risk of the solar system becoming an issue or potential hazard in the unforeseeable future. So if you’re thinking about buying and fitting new solar panels, you’ll probably want to know whether or not you’ll require to submit a planning permission application for approval before you can proceed.

Fortunately, the installation of solar panels on commercial buildings may be “permitted development which mean you won’t have to apply to the Local Planning Authority for planning permission. There are, however, some important limits and conditions which must be put into consideration in order to benefit from these permitted development rights. Some of the limitations include:

• The solar panels must be installed on a wall or pitched roof that should project at a maximum of 200mm from the surface of the wall or roof slope.
• Equipment placed on a roof should not be within one metre of the external edge of that roof.
• Equipment mounted on a wall must not be within one metre of a junction of that wall with another wall or with the roof of the building
• If the equipment is on the roof of a building, the capacity for generation of electricity across the entire site must not be more than 1 megawatt.
• In the situation whereby the panels are installed on a flat roof, the highest part of the equipment should not exceed one metre above the highest part of the roof.

In general, obtaining a planning permission is very important and as such, you must discuss your position with your chosen installation company before you proceed.

The importance of selecting the right size battery for your home simply cannot be overemphasized. A lot of home and property owners are facing this challenge and understandably so. Selecting the right battery size for your needs depend on a number of factors which includes your motive for adding a battery, your electricity usage, your budget as well as your panel array size, be it new or existing. In this post, we’re going to take you through some of these factors to help you determine the right battery size for your home or property. Let’s take a look!

• Your motive for getting a battery. While most people purchase a battery to wipe out their need to purchase electricity from the grid with the hope of making some savings, others add a battery so as to enjoy backup power. There are also some who just needs it to power their home with solar energy. It’ll not be economical to size a battery to effectively take you off the grid, but if your motive is to make savings, then you’ll should expect to purchase some electricity from the grid during the year.
• Electricity usage. The average household uses about 16kWh of electricity on a daily basis. During the daylight hours, most of these household will use a third of their electricity when the solar panels are still generating electricity, while the remaining two third are purchased from the grid. In other words, you’ll require a minimum of 10kWh battery capacity if you were to use a battery to power the electricity you purchase from the grid.

For a typical British household, you’ll most likely need a 5kWh solar power system which normally generates about 17 to 21 kWh on a daily basis depending on your location in the UK.