Slash your energy costs!
Visit our display van at Market Harborough town square. We are there to answer any questions on saving energy & reducing your future fuel bills.
We will be there from 9am till 4pm to answer any questions on Energy Saving, Solar Electric (Photovoltaic), Solar Hot water, Airsource & groundsource.
We look forward to seeing you!
Part 2 of “Guide to Solar PV”
Solar Photovoltaic panels can be mounted in various ways. The three main ways are:
This is your standard solar panel mounting system
1. Standard Frame Mounting consists of profile bars that sit on top of your existing roof tile (slate etc) and are anchored in. This is most common and by far the cheapest method of mounting the panels they are very safe, reliable and quick. As for manufacturers of these frame mounting systems there is no ‘market leader’ or one brand that sticks out as exceptional, they are all the same as all they do is mount the panels to your roof safely and securely.
These panels are mounted in roof
2. Integrated Mounting Systems are a way of incorporating the solar panels in alongside the tiles instead of on the top. They do look nice however there are some underlying issues with them. Firstly if your roof already has tiles on it removing all the tiles and placing the mounting system in will cost you a good half to a days labour extra costs, this is very expensive. Furthermore because there isn’t a constant air flow the panels get very hot and become less efficient which means you generate less electricity which in turn gets you less feed-in tariff income. Finally because of the heat the panels can get to, having a boiling hot solar panel within your roof is a potential fire hazard.
These Solar Tiles replace the original tiles, can replace any type of tile
3. Solar Tiles are a clever little way of replacing the actual tile with a solar tile that acts as a tiny solar panel, you obviously need quite a lot of these to get the same level of output as the standard solar panel but it can be done. Unfortunately there are two main issues with them. Firstly the cost, they are very very expensive and can add an extra £3,000 to your materials cost, also they take a lot longer to set up so it will cost more in labour too. Finally they are quite inefficient at the moment, you wont be able to generate as much electricity as you would with standard panels so that also means less feed-in tariff income.
Our recommendation is that you stick to the standard mounting system, its cheaper, more efficient and quicker to install. Again the mounting system manufacturer doesn’t really matter at all, we just go for the cheapest we could find that mounts the panels securely and safely so it lowers the cost to our customer without comprising the safety of the panels.
Hope this helped and these are the links to the other parts of the guide
There are thousands of different PV panels and every one different in a certain way. If you are considering solar PV the initial outlay is large, so you want value for your investment! So this guide really breaks down to the simple things you need to look for in a panel, how to compare them and to make sure you are getting value for money. After this if you are still confused a simple chat to an installer (such as ourselves) would allow you to understand quickly. For now these are the three main attributes for solar PV panels.
1. Output: This means the maximum output of electricity the panel could generate from the sun in watts. To find this out, most panels have their wattage in there name, so a Schott 230 watt panels can produce 5 watts less than a Schott 235 watt panel. So the bigger wattage, the greater the maximum output, the more you save and earn. However the higher spec panels obviously cost a lot more and sometimes the price increase isn’t worth the extra wattage, this leads me on to the next attribute to look out for
2. Efficiency: This is important, the efficiency is quite literally the efficiency of turning the UV rays into electricity we can use and export. The average is quite low, they range from really low end panels of around 10% and can reach heights of 17%. Efficiency is the best way to split up similar wattage panels, if two panels have a maximum output of 235 watts but one has an efficiency rating of 15.4% and the other has an efficiency rating of 16.9% the obvious choice is the better efficient panel. Again though you must consider price in all of this, if the increase in price doesn’t warrant the increase in efficiency then there really is no point. If you are unsure on what constitutes a higher price then just ask our Energy Renewables Manager.
3. Warranty: Photovoltaic (PV) panels are an ever growing technology and with that they are constantly improving the technology and with that the lifespan. Currently the industry standard warranty is 5 years, however Schott have increased this to 10 years and I’m sure they wont be the last. Another industry standard is to have the manufacturer guarantee of 80% performance over 25 years so your panels wont fall below 80% performance throughout the Feed-in Tariff, this is all checked when the solar PV system is serviced.
4. Cost of Panel: As previously mentioned this really is dependand on the wattage, efficiency & warranty but my advice to you is if you get a quote where you feel the panel price is too high, simply look on the internet. One simple rule, if you can get it yourself cheaper than what the installer is offering, do so.
This guide is all well and good but I’m sure the first thing you would say is
“yeah that’s great, but where do I find all of this out?”
Well to find this kind of information out is very simple all you have to do is Google Search your panel’s Brand and watt number followed by data sheet. So for example if I wanted to find out the spec on a Samsung 247w panel I would type into Google ‘Samasung 247w panel data sheet’ then find a relevant link and open what is called a PDF file and will look like this when you open it.
http://www.samsung.com/us/business/solarmodules/images/data/Catalog(US).pdf
You may be asked to download it but as long as the file is .pdf it can contain nothing but text and images so you will be absolutely fine!
I really hope that has helped you in the minefield of information that is Solar Photovoltaic.
This is just one part of our “Solar PV Made Easy” Guide and we hope you enjoy. Links to the rest to follow….
Regards,
Lewington Solar
Part 2 – Guide to Solar PV – Mounting Systems
Lewington Solar is EXPANDING. – Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Ground Source Heat Pumps & Air Source to the Midlands
We offer our service to the East Midlands and will quote jobs over the midlands, we are MCS registered as well as REAL certified. Our local business has grown organically proving that we offer unbeatable service at a low price! We offer all aspects of renewable energy such as Solar PV, Ground Source Heat pumps, Air Source & Solar thermal.
If you are in East Midlands and want to arrange a quote then please dont hesitate to call us for a FREE NO OBLIGATION quote on:
01858 43 33 33
or
Email – info@lewington-heating.co.uk
We look forward to hearing from you!
Assuring the midlands about our solar installations
The rates for Climate Change Levy (CCL) have increased as of 1st April 2011. CCL usually increases in line with inflation however for the government to reach their optimistic targets they have increased outline of inflation. CCL is a tax on energy used by business and other organisations.
The rates use to stand as:
Gas – 0.164p p/kWh
Electricity – 0.470p p/kWh
Now they have increased to
Gas – 0.169p p/kWh
Electricity – 0.485p p/kWh
This increase your annual costs by as much as £200 a year.
Why would you want to spend an extra £200 a year when, with solar PV or other alternatives, you can earn on average £2200 a year!
This really is an amazing investment opportunity that is guaranteed by the government for 25 years AND is in line with inflation.
An Article written by the telegraph
The article has highlighted the bogus marketing of some Solar PV salesmen claiming they can get more money than the roof allows them. ALL figures on our website have been calculated by the energy saving trust’s PV calculator for general figures as it would be impossible to make calculations for every scenario. When our Renewable Energy Adviser Darren (who will also install the system) is called out for a quote he can accurately give you figures. He is not a salesmen he is an engineer so he knows the industry very well so his figures will be accurate and up to date.
We are also apart of REAL who are a Solar PV assurance scheme that was set up to protect consumers from bad illegitimate salesmen. Read up of REAL here.
To get a free, No Obligation quote please call our office on:
01858 43 33 33
Regards,
The Lewingtons Team
If you are looking into installing solar energy such as solar pv or solar thermal in your home, office or community project in Leicester, Leicestershire, Northampton & Northamptonshire then it makes sense to investigate the solar energy grants that are available.
Here’s how to apply for a home solar energy grant. Grant applications are made on a quarterly basis. Applications are assessed by an independent panel and if approved you have 12 months to complete the installation. A grant is paid out in two stages: up to 70% at approval and 30% on completion.
The whole appliaction process can be broken down into five stages…
1. Obtain a quote and grant application form your chosen solar system supplier such as ourselves.
2. Order your Solar energy system and ensure that your order is be conditional on grant approval.
3. After checking your personal details, including the bank account you want the grant funds to be paid into, sign and post the grant application form. It usually takes around 5-10 days to receive your grant approval letter.
4. Have your solar water heating system installed by your chosen supplier.
5. The final stage is to claim the second part of your grant. Once your Solar system is installed and paid for, you will receive a certificate which is required to claim the final grant payment which goes straight into your bank account.
It’s quite a simple process as grants go, but as we have helped many home owners in Leicester, Leicestershire, Northampton & Northamptonshire with their solar PV, Solar Thermal or any other energy grant, we are always happy to advise and possible pitfalls.
If this interests you and you would like to learn more please do contact us on
01858 43 33 33
or Visit
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
or finally e-mail us at
info@lewington-heating.co.uk
As accredited installers of Worcester Bosch Gas and Oil boilers we are proud to represent their products around Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire & the surrounding areas. We are hosting a range of Worcester gas boilers, oil boilers and renewable energy products at the Square in Market Harborough on Saturday 18th June 2011.
As well as viewing Worcester Bosch products you can have a chat with our engineers who will be able to answer any questions you may have. They will also be there to give advice on the products that are suitable for your home and suit your needs.
This can really be a great way of getting free advice on replacing old boilers that are no longer energy efficient and are costing you increasing amounts of money to maintain, they will reccomend a more energy efficient boiler that is tailored to your needs.
We look forward to seeing you at The Square in Market Harborough on Saturday 18th June 2011 from 8:30 onwards!
The Feed-in Tariff Scheme was introduced by the government to Great Britain on 1st April 2010. Under this scheme with a combination of the government and the six major electricity providers, users of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) energy renewal system receive regular fixed payments and payments dependant on the kilowatts of electricity you sell back to the grid.
The first regular payment you will receive will be a fixed amount dependant on the kilowatt hours your solar photovoltaic (PV) system generates and is used within your home. This payment is made solely by the government.
The second payment is made when you sell back kilowatts that your solar photovoltaic system produces that your house does not need, you sell kilowatts back to the national grid at a rate that is subsidised by the Feed-in Tariff Scheme.
The Feed-in Tariff scheme now allows for quicker payback for the installation cost of the solar photovoltaic (PV) system, this is echoed by the government as they have guaranteed the scheme for 25 years meaning breaking even is almost guaranteed.
