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Essential Buyers Guide To Solar Pv Panels
The following guide will explain the ins and outs of Solar PV Panels, so you can understand why they're a good investment for your property. How Solar PV Panels Work Solar PV Panels convert the energy from the sun into electricity which you can then use for the needs of your home. In scientific terms, this is called the photovoltaic (PV) effect, which creates an electric current in a material when it's exposed to light. PV cells are arranged in panels and attached to the roof or walls of a property to capture solar energy. The strength of a photovoltaic cell is measured in kilowatt peak (kWp), which amounts to the volume of energy each cell produces from sunlight. The UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change has estimated that a typical household that installs a well-positioned 2.5 Kilowatt (KW) Solar PV system could save ?140 per year on its electricity bill. Benefits and Facts Feed-in-Tariff or Clean Energy Cashback Scheme Solar PV Panels can deliver an 8% return of investment on your money. Due to government support for the generation of clean, eco-friendly energy, they are tax-free. In April of last year, the government introduced an initiative called the Feed-in-Tariff or Clean Energy Cashback Scheme. This guarantees UK homes tax-free income for the energy they produce by selling any surplus they generate back to the national grid. This revenue is also index linked, meaning any money you earn in this way will keep pace with inflation fluctuations. Thus, Solar PV Panels allow you to effectively reduce your CO2 emissions as well as earn extra money from your electricity supplier for each unit your PV panels generate. Energy Even In Cloudy Weather You might be thinking that if Solar PV Panels require sunshine, there's not much point in having them in the UK! This is not true however - even in cloudy weather the sun's UV rays are present, so your solar panels will continue to generate electricity. Size To decide how many Solar PV Panels you'll need, you must have a good idea of the energy usage of your individual home. Firstly, think about the ways that you can realistically save on electricity consumption. Secondly, consider whether you expect your family to expand over the next few years or whether it will decrease in size as children leave the nest. It's best to base the size of your PV system on your planned energy use, not on your current one. Location Here the obvious applies - your solar PV system should be located where the panels can get as much sunlight as possible. Keep your eye out for such obstructions to light as trees or buildings - this includes bearing in mind how trees might grow over the next 30 years. When they come to do the installation, your PV panel supplier will help you to best position them. Care You can keep your solar panels as effective as possible by making sure they're free from dust for maximum absorption of the sun's rays. Do this by simply rinsing them down a few times each summer from the ground (no roof climbing needed) using a hose nozzle. Life Expectancy PV panels lose about 0.5% of their efficiency each year. In total, you can expect them to last for around 30 years. The only part replacement you will need, and this only after approximately 15 years, is the inverter, which converts the direct current from the panels to the electric current used in your home. Forward Thinking There is the added factor that if you sell your home in the future, by adding Solar PV Panels you are in fact adding to its selling value. Conclusion Solar PV Panels will not only save you money on your electricity bills, but with the new Clean Energy Cashback Scheme, you can also earn additional revenue. All in all, generating free, natural energy is quite simply the way forward. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com John.T. Williamson is an expert on energy saving measures and Solar PV Panels. |
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