Solar FAQs

In the simplest terms, solar panels make electricity from sunlight. Solar panels are comprised of solar cells. The cells collect sunlight, which makes electrons move around inside them, creating an electrical current. The electrical current travels through and out of the panel. All the panels are connected, and their collective energy produced travels down wiring to an inverter. The inverter cleverly converts the DC (direct current) made by the panels into AC (alternating current). From there, the AC power goes into the electrical system of your property and is used just like any other energy supply.

If your property’s solar system creates more power than it needs, the extra will be pumped back onto the grid. In this case, it goes through a bi-directional meter that keeps track of power going both ways.

Hopefully, this simplistic explanation will give you a clearer idea of how a solar system generally works. The important thing to know is that it can offset your electric bill.

The short answer is yes. However, the thing to remember about solar is that it’s a long-term investment.

So you have decided to purchase a system that can generate the electricity you use… the purchase price feels like you are pre-paying your electricity costs all upfront … but you will certainly reap the benefits for years to come.

Your electric bill is ‘taken care of’ for at least the next 25 years and – more than likely – 30 or 40 years.

Cast the clock back to, say, 1980. If someone had suggested, you install a gas pump in your back garden to take care of your energy needs and requested a one-time fee of £15,000 you may well have hesitated because coming up with £15,000 could possibly have been very challenging! However, with hindsight, looking at the numbers, it would have been in your best interests to have made that deal, since you would have spent more than £15,000 in the years that followed. The same principle applies to going solar. In a way, you are prepaying your electricity costs for a fraction of the cost that you’re going to spend with an energy company for the rest of your life. However, you do have to pay for the system on the front end.

Luckily, the solar industry has evolved to the point where most customers who go solar use innovative finance deals to help pay for their purchase. These financing deals can get you a low monthly payment that is fixed to help you pay for your system. The payment is typically cheaper than what you’re currently paying for electricity. This means that on a monthly basis, you may be able to start saving money right from the beginning. Regardless of whether you’re looking at it on a monthly basis with financing or looking at the long-term numbers of a cash purchase, solar will save you money.

There are a few factors that will determine this. One of the biggest is the rate you pay your energy company for each kilowatt-hour. If your energy rate is higher, the payback period for an investment in solar is shortened. You must also consider your roof – not every roof is ideal for a solar installation. If you have South, East, or West facing roof space that isn’t shaded, then it could be ideal for solar. If your property has trees nearby that shade the whole roof, and they cannot be trimmed or removed, then a solar roof is not aa feasible option. Also, if your roof has many obstructions on it, this will impact the number of panels that can be installed. Also, as explained above, with solar, where you are theoretically pre-paying your electricity costs for the next several years the biggest advantage is that the cost of the system is much less than what you’re going to pay the energy company over 25 or 30 years for electricity.

It’s all about looking at the bigger picture really and seeing it as an investment that will pay off in the long run.

So if the sun isn’t shining, or it’s night-time, will your solar panels work? Yes – because when you have solar power you are still connected to the grid. The solar system works in conjunction with the grid. During sunny days, your solar system will make more power than what your property might need at that time. It is not wasted – the excess goes back onto the grid and your meter keeps track of the extra going onto the grid. At night, when your solar isn’t producing any power, any energy you need comes from the power grid. The meter then measures how much power is coming into your home.

If your solar system is sized correctly, the power going out to the grid will cancel out the power coming into your house from the grid. In essence, you’re using the utility as your solar system’s battery.

Yes! It is already.

Some hold the idea that it isn’t this is a very common misconception. When you investigate and understand the power of solar energy for your home, you will easily see that it is a realistic option for your home.

The cost of solar equipment has come down significantly over the last decade which is one of the biggest factors in determining the viability of solar for your home.

Another benefit about solar becoming viable is the fact that utility rates have risen every year. On average, it has gone up 5% per year nationally. Each time energy prices increase, solar becomes more and more viable.

Financing also makes solar a viable option. In the past, there were no realistic options when it comes to paying for a solar system. Now that solar has become more common, lenders have created financing programs that are designed to make solar more affordable. So instead of having to come up with a large chunk of money all at once, you can make a small, monthly payment instead. Most of the time, the monthly payment is less than the cost of your monthly electric bill.

Overall, solar is viable for most people in our area. If you own your home and you pay an electric bill, solar could realistically be viable for you.

This will depend on how many panels are needed, and it is difficult to give an exact price until other factors have been considered. But on the whole solar panels are around 70% cheaper than they were in 2010.

Most homes will need 12-16 panels to meet their energy needs. With an average home of 3 people, needing a 3kWh system of 12 solar panels, with a total cost of £5,000 – £6,000 then typically the cost of a solar system will range from around £2,000 for smaller homes up to £9,000 for larger homes.

Find out more about how much you can expect to pay with our guide to in the UK.

The biggest benefit must be the reductions you will see on your fuel bills because generating your own electricity will help reduced those costs considerably but, in a nutshell:

1. Reduced electricity bills: a 2.8 kWp system should be able to generate around 35% of an average household’s annual electricity needs.
2. Lower carbon emissions: solar panels don’t produce any carbon emissions, which will help to greatly reduce the impact your home has on the environment.
3. No running costs: once installed, you won’t have to worry about any operating costs as they create free renewable energy for your home.
4. Low maintenance: other than making sure the panels are getting enough light (make sure they’re not being obstructed) there’s not a lot else to worry about.
5. Charge an electric car for free: reduce your fuelling costs if you have an electric vehicle.