Focusing on cost-effective solutions to alleviate the cost of living crisis , recognizing that we need to reduce our carbon footprint, manufacturers have developed a range of solar panels for homes and businesses.
Also called photovoltaic (PV), solar panels capture energy from the sun. By converting this into usable electricity to power your devices, they can significantly reduce the electricity that households typically get from the national grid, as well as their carbon footprint.
Save on your electricity bill with solar panels at home
By reducing your dependence on the grid, installing solar panels can save you money on your electricity bills. The amount of savings varies depending on how your household uses electricity, but can be as high as £1,200 per year.
Estimated prices for October 2022
The power delivered by a solar panel system is measured in kilowatts (kW), with each panel typically producing between 250 and 400 kilowatt hours (kWh). Larger households generally consume more electricity and require a more powerful system. A 4 kW system is suitable for most homes and produces enough electricity for about four people.
How your household uses electricity has a big impact on how much you save on your bills. As the solar panels do not produce electricity at night, the energy needed in the dark will be drawn from the grid and charged at the standard rate, reducing the savings available.
The use of energy-intensive appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers and the charging of electric vehicles during the day will reduce reliance on purchased electricity. For those who are out all day, most modern devices have timers that allow them to be used while they are at work.
Solar storage will allow you to save unused electricity when you need it. Although batteries can increase the cost of your solar system, they can significantly reduce the need to purchase electricity from your supplier.
Electricity that is not used or stored can be sold by the energy company to the national grid. Charges for this vary by provider, but are generally much lower than what customers pay for electricity. Therefore, to get the maximum savings, it makes sense to use as much electricity as possible in the home, leaving some for resale.
Use solar panels to store energy
As mentioned earlier, a solar panel allows you to store excess energy generated by solar panels in your home and use it when needed, such as at night when electricity is not produced. If you want to reduce or even eliminate your electricity consumption, a solar panel costing between £1,800 and £9,000 can be a worthwhile investment. However, if the electricity produced by the solar panels meets your home's needs or is close enough, you don't need batteries.
Can an electric car be used as a solar battery?
Solar panels at home can charge your electric car. (Picture: Adobe)
Electric vehicles (EVs) are growing in popularity, with charging stations popping up in workplaces, public parking lots and gas stations across the country. This should be accelerated by the UK government's plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030.
Home charging stations are quickly becoming the norm for electric vehicle owners, with two main options: slow and fast chargers. Slow chargers are ideal for overnight charging in conjunction with a solar panel, while faster versions, although more expensive to purchase, will recharge your EV in a matter of hours. The consumer code for home charging stations estimates the price of the charger and installation costs at around £1,000 per fast charging station.
Under the government's EV Home Charging Scheme, you may be eligible for a subsidy for the cost of a home charging station. If you meet the criteria, you can get up to 75% off your charging point.
Charge points can be powered by solar panels and using them can save you over £1000 a year, meaning your charge point can pay for itself in around a year.
Rates updated November 2022
A new innovative option for solar energy storage is emerging. Vehicle at Home (V2H) allows your electric vehicle to store the electricity produced by your solar panels and then deliver it to your home. In the same way that a solar panel stores energy, V2H allows you to control when and where to distribute the electricity produced by your panels.
Solar water heater
Add a blackout switch to solar panels and you have the option of redirecting unused energy to heat an immersion heater to provide hot water or charge an electric car. Most patterns automatically redirect or allow you to decide where to direct the energy. Adding a machine to your system increases savings and reduces electricity requirements.
Which houses are not suitable for solar panels?
Home solar panels are suitable for most properties, but there are some factors to consider. (Picture: Adobe)
Although solar panels are suitable for most property types, including bungalows, townhouses, and flat-roofed homes, some properties will not benefit from a solar power system.
The direction and slope of the roof
Solar panels need sunlight to generate electricity, and in the UK a south-facing roof captures more of the sun's energy. In contrast, a north-facing roof receives about 55% , which, although capable of generating power, results in a less efficient solar system.
The slope of the roof also plays a role in the suitability of the property. The optimum roof angle for solar panels is between 30 degrees and 45 degrees, but somewhere between 15 degrees and 50 degrees is considered possible. If the pitch of the roof is more than 50 degrees, it's likely that your panels will be in the shade for most of the day and therefore won't be able to operate effectively.
Insufficient roof area
The more electricity a system needs to produce, the more panels it needs, which means more space is needed to accommodate them. While most solar panels are around 1 x 2 meters, there are more compact models on the market. They are designed for smaller roofs and can produce the same amount of electricity, but at a higher purchase price.
If your roof is too small, solar panels can be mounted on a shed or garage or left on the ground. Your installer will explain if these options are available.
For more information on roofs suitable for solar panels, read our guide here.
Do you need a permit to install solar panels on your house?
Buildings in conservation areas are often suitable for home solar panels and in most cases do not require planning permission. (Picture: Adobe)
Planning regulations are put in place by local authorities to ensure that residents of a particular area are not affected by the influence of their neighbours. For example, windows overlooking the territory of neighbors or high fences blocking sunlight for the neighboring house will negatively affect their life. Building laws also prevent new developments from altering the look of a place by ruining it for existing residents.
Fortunately, most solar panel installations do not require planning permission, falling under 'permitted development' guidelines. This is due to their low profile and the fact that the government encourages homeowners to use renewable energy sources.
If your property has a listed status you may need to apply to your local council for planning permission (LBC). Approval generally depends on the location of the signs and the construction conditions. Likewise, if you live in a conservation area, you will need to check with your local council to ensure that any changes will preserve the aesthetics and integrity of the area.
Are solar panels a viable investment for homeowners?
Landlords are under constant pressure to ensure their properties meet the government's legal requirements to be eligible for rental. Installing solar panels brings many benefits to both homeowners and tenants.
Improve your property's EPC rating
A minimum EPC rating of C will be required from 2025 for all new leased buildings and by 2028 for all leased buildings. An E grade is currently required.
According to a study by Shawbrook Bank, 15% of homeowners surveyed were unaware of this legislation. As a result, millions of properties are at risk of becoming unoccupied.
Installing solar panels can boost your existing energy rating to at least the next level and increase your property's rental appeal to competitors.
Maximize savings for you and your tenant
The electricity produced by the solar panels of your property can be resold to the tenant at a preferential rate. Instead of charging the tenant the current price of electricity, about 34 cents per kWh, you can charge them less, which lowers the tenant's bills and increases profits.
More long-term tenants
By saving the tenant money on their electricity bills, they are more likely to stick around. In the future, they could face significant increases in their electricity bills.
Ecological
If everyone is more aware of your green credentials and renewable energy, your property will become more attractive to potential tenants. In addition to lowering their electricity bills, either through you as the landlord or relying less on supplied electricity, the turnaround time from one tenant to another will be shorter.
Owner testimonials
We collected customer testimonials from people who have installed solar panels on their homes to find out what the experience was like and what benefits they saw after making the decision.
“We've had the panels for a week now and they're great. From the person who requested the information and the estimate to the installation, everything went smoothly. Then there was no pressure to register and we had constant communication from the moment of registration until the day of installation. Even on overcast days, we still get a fair amount of power out of it. I would 100% recommend to family and friends." - Mrs Cheeseman on Trustpilot
“My experience with Project Solar UK has been/is excellent and I would highly recommend them to family and friends. The team arrived in time to install the system. The installation went very well and the system was well explained afterwards. I generated my energy as soon as the system turned on. Very satisfied customer, thank you. - Deborah Clemitshaw on Trustpilot
