FAQ's -
I very often get asked "How do Solar Panels work" it is often followed by "We don't get any sunshine in this part of the world".
This is my reply; Solar(PV) panels work in daylight, they don't need full sunshine so even when it's overcast you will still generate some electricity. The Panels on your roof will generate electricity in DC which is the same as a battery, this power is passed through an inverter to change it to AC so that it can be used in your home. The clever part of the inverter is that it constantly senses the voltage coming in to your house and converts your generated electricity to a slightly higher voltage, it does this so that you will use your generated electricity first before buying any in the normal way. Any electricity that is generated, whether you use it it or not will attract the current rate of the Feed in Tariff (currently 15.4 pence per Kilowatt).
What is the Feed in Tariff ?
The Feed in Tariff is guaranteed for 20 years by act of parliament and is index linked, so once signed up to a Tariff it cannot be changed other than the yearly increase due to inflation. If you use the electricity that you generate you will be buying less from your electricity supplier, this is where, with a little alteration to the way you use your washing machine and dryer etc, you can make a big difference to your annual bill. Any electricity that you haven't used in your property is sold to your electricity supplier (currently at 4.3 pence per kilowatt). The Feed in Tariff process works like this; Generally I will sign you up to receive the Feed in Tariff from your electricity supplier. Once registered with them they will ask you to take a reading once every 3 months from your generation meter that I will install for you, they take this reading and give you 15.4 pence for every kilowatt generated, they will also give you 4.3 pence for 50% of the number of kilowatts, this is an assumption that you have used 50% of your generated electricity. The total value of the 15.4pence and 4.3 pence is then paid in to a bank account of your choice.
To summarise, you benefit in 3 ways from your Solar System,
1) firstly the income from the Feed in Tariff,
2) Secondly the savings on your electricity bill and
3) thirdly from the surplus generated electricity sold to the electricity supplier. From my experience the generation of my own electricity
I very often get asked "How do Solar Panels work" it is often followed by "We don't get any sunshine in this part of the world".
This is my reply; Solar(PV) panels work in daylight, they don't need full sunshine so even when it's overcast you will still generate some electricity. The Panels on your roof will generate electricity in DC which is the same as a battery, this power is passed through an inverter to change it to AC so that it can be used in your home. The clever part of the inverter is that it constantly senses the voltage coming in to your house and converts your generated electricity to a slightly higher voltage, it does this so that you will use your generated electricity first before buying any in the normal way. Any electricity that is generated, whether you use it it or not will attract the current rate of the Feed in Tariff (currently 15.4 pence per Kilowatt).
What is the Feed in Tariff ?
The Feed in Tariff is guaranteed for 20 years by act of parliament and is index linked, so once signed up to a Tariff it cannot be changed other than the yearly increase due to inflation. If you use the electricity that you generate you will be buying less from your electricity supplier, this is where, with a little alteration to the way you use your washing machine and dryer etc, you can make a big difference to your annual bill. Any electricity that you haven't used in your property is sold to your electricity supplier (currently at 4.3 pence per kilowatt). The Feed in Tariff process works like this; Generally I will sign you up to receive the Feed in Tariff from your electricity supplier. Once registered with them they will ask you to take a reading once every 3 months from your generation meter that I will install for you, they take this reading and give you 15.4 pence for every kilowatt generated, they will also give you 4.3 pence for 50% of the number of kilowatts, this is an assumption that you have used 50% of your generated electricity. The total value of the 15.4pence and 4.3 pence is then paid in to a bank account of your choice.
To summarise, you benefit in 3 ways from your Solar System,
1) firstly the income from the Feed in Tariff,
2) Secondly the savings on your electricity bill and
3) thirdly from the surplus generated electricity sold to the electricity supplier. From my experience the generation of my own electricity