Solar PV

Domestic systems

How does it work?

Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells capture energy from sunlight and convert it into electricity for use in your home or business. The sun does not need to be shining – some electricity is generated even on overcast or cloudy days.

Solar PV systems can be installed almost anywhere in the country and, with no moving parts, require practically no maintenance once installed.

A solar PV system consists of a number of connected solar photovoltaic panels that generate electricity from sunlight and a dedicated electrical circuit that converts DC electricity to AC electricity (the type of electricity that electrical appliances and white goods use) and enables this electricity to be used within the property. If the panels are producing more electricity than you are using any surplus electricity is exported to the grid.

How suitable is my home?

Direction of your roof - Panels facing in a southerly direction receive the most sunlight during the day. Panels facing east or west will also receive adequate exposure to the sun.

Angle of your roof – the pitch of your roof will affect the level of sunlight your panels will receive during the day. A pitch of 30◦ will give the best annual performance. Ecofirst have experience of installing solar PV systems on a wide variety of roof types including using pitched mounting systems on flat roofs or ground mounted systems. Our expert team are happy to advise you of the best option for your property.

Shading of your roof – if areas of your roof are shaded during the day by other properties, trees etc this will affect the performance of your solar panels as less power will be generated. Ecofirst can assess the effect of shading on the output of your panels and advise you about the best solution for your property. A property with modest shading can still deliver an acceptable level of power.

The key benefit to a solar PV system is that the electricity it generates is 100% renewable, but they also have a number of other important benefits, particularly in comparison to other renewable energy generators:

Financial Benefits

Typical payback of the capital cost of a system is 10-12 years
You can expect to receive a 8-10% return on your investment – that’s up to x6 more than a bank ISA
Save money on your electricity bill – you use the electricity you generate from your solar panels so you don’t have to pay your energy supplier for that electricity
Feed-in Tariff – you could be paid up to 21p for every unit of electricity (kWh) your solar panels generate for 25 years tax free
Export surplus electricity to the national grid – your electricity supplier will pay you 3.1p for every unit of electricity (kWh) you export (sell) to them
Low maintenance – a typical system lasts 40 + years

Environmental Benefits