Solar panel installation and battery storage has never been easier or cheaper!

How do Solar panel systems work?

Solar PV (Photovoltaic) panels produce electricity. When daylight hits the panels an electrical charge is created in the silicone cells causing electricity to flow. The electricity created is known as ‘direct current’ and is the type that is created by electric motors and the type that is stored in batteries. The electricity that is used in our homes is known as ‘alternating current’ so to make use of the electricity from the solar panels we need a device known as an inverter.

The inverter is connected to your home’s electrical supply at the fuse board so anything that is drawing power, be it a television or refrigerator, the electricity from the solar panels will automatically go to power those electrical items.

If the home is not drawing that much power, surplus power from the solar panels will go to the national grid. You can be paid for the electricity that you export to the grid but many customers opt for a battery storage system to complement their solar panels because they find the savings are greater than the export payments.

What are the benefits of battery storage?

Solar home batteries are now very popular since the decrease in revenue from the feed in tariffs. When a solar panel system begins to export power to the grid, a sensor detects this and activates the battery system to draw the power and store it for later use. Batteries store DC electricity so they need an inverter to convert the DC electricity to AC electricity for us to use in our homes. This is where you will hear the term ‘hybrid inverter’. A hybrid inverter is a solar PV inverter and battery inverter in one box. There is less conversion of electricity because it can be stored as DC automatically in the battery if the house is not using power.

How can I monitor my energy consumption?

Our solar PV and battery systems come with a brilliant online monitoring package so no matter where you are, you can check on your systems performance, self-consumption, and whole house electricity usage from your smart phone or laptop. You can see live data and historic data with our graphs and charts so you have total insight in to your energy usage and savings. It contributes towards saving energy because you can see where it may be used in non-efficient ways.

What will the savings be?

Using the MCS calculation we can predict with accuracy how much power your solar panels will generate over a year, you can find this estimate on your quotation presented in kWh (kilowatt hours). That estimate can also be found on your MCS certificate, and is your guarantee that your solar company has designed and sold your system correctly.

Predicting your savings is not quite as accurate because each customer is different but we can see from all of the data we collect from our customers that they save on average 75% on their electricity bills!  With the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) you can even earn money by exporting your excess solar energy to the grid.

The savings aren’t just monetary, installing solar panels for your home will also reduce your reliance on fossil fuels and cut your carbon footprint!

Get in touch to start your journey in to solar and receive a free no obligation quotation.