Solar Panel & Solar Power FAQ's
How long will the panels take to pay for themselves?
The average UK home consumes around 3300kWh (or units) of electricity per annum. A typical PV solar panel system would be a 2kWp system which would produce approximately 1668kWh per year (based on 834kWh per 1kWp installed under UK conditions), which is roughly half of the expected yearly consumption. Payback will vary greatly depending on individual electricity consumption patterns and naturally, energy prices, which are projected to rise remorselessly. The time will obviously be even shorter if energy prices continue to increase in the future.
How much energy do I need?
According to widely quoted figures, including those from the Energy Saving Trust, the average 3 bedroom house consumes around 3,300 units of electricity, or kilowatt hours (kWh) a year (assuming cooking and heating use a non-electric supply source). However, the only way to be certain is to look at your last few bills. For the most accurate figure you should call your electricity supplier to find out how many units you actually have consumed over a 12 month period. You can then compare this to the output of the system Planet Solar has recommended for you.
How long does it take to install a Solar PV system?
The installation of the roof hooks, mounting rail and modules takes approximately two days, depending on what size system you have. The electrician will then come and install the inverter and commission the system which usually takes one full day.
Do I have to carry out any maintenance?
For most roof mounted domestic installations with a roof pitch of 15 degrees or greater, natural rain water is sufficient to keep the PV panels adequately clean. However, local conditions such as deposits from nearby chimneys, trees, bird lime etc may necessitate periodic cleaning of the array with water by hosing down once a year.
What are the warranties on the modules and inverters?
All of the modules come with a 25 year manufacturers warranty. The inverters have a 5 year manufacturers warranty. Planet Solar offer a 10 year warranty on all electrical work.
What is the percentage power loss from an inverter?
On average most inverters are about 93% efficient. Some of the very latest high frequency inverters are usually around 97% efficient. The slight loss in performance is due to heat dissipation and transformer losses.
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