Q. What are the key benefits of a PV system?
A. Once installed and commissioned, you own the system, having control of a long term free source of electricity that presently is exempt from VAT and price increases. You are not only saving money but actively saving the environment we live in. As the system has no moving parts they require minimal maintenance, have a long lifespan, generate no emissions and no noise – producing clean energy for eons to come.
Q. What is a Unit or KwH (Kilowatt Hour) of electricity?
A. Units are how you are billed for electricity. These are examples of 1 unit or KwH. A 1 bar electric fire running for one hour. A 100w lightbulb running for 10 hours.
Q. Do I need a south facing roof and how big does it need to be?
A. South, SW or SE facing is fine. Typically a solar PV module is approx 1m x 1.3 to 1.5m and a typical domestic scale system consists of 8 to 10 modules in either portrait OR landscape format therefore an area of approximately 15m2 of clear unshaded roof is required.
Q. What does a typical System cost?
A. It varies, by size and is dependant on our detailed survey.
Q: How will the electricity I generate integrate with my electrical system?
A: The AC output from the inverter is wired into a spare breaker unit on your distribution board via a generation meter.
Q: Will the system power my house if there is a power cut in my local area?
A: If your system is ’On Grid’ and does not contain any back up device it will automatically shut down when AC current from the distribution board is lost. This prevents any danger of electrocution to anyone who may be working on the local electric system or local grid.
Q: Will I have to regularly clean my PV modules?
A: Unless the modules are exposed to a high level of covering, i.e adjacent to a construction site, the performance of the modules suffer very little degradation and normally efficiency is unlikely to drop my more than a couple of percent.
Q: Will they work if it is a dull day?
A: Your system will work as long as there is sufficient irradiation from the sun to initiate the inversion process. It is a common misconception that solar modules only work in direct sunlight.
Q. Do I need planning permission for renewable energy technology.
A. Generally speaking, planning is NOT required for ‘most’ domestic installations however, we advise all of our customers to seek clarification from their local planning department in all cases.
Q. Does the system need any maintenance?
A. A standard PV array has no moving parts and as such doesn’t “need” any maintenance however; we do advise that the system is checked electrically and mechanically on an annual basis along with cleaning of the module surfaces as this can reduce the effectivity of the module