Generate Cheap, Green Electricity from Sunlight | Solar PV

Solar panel electricity systems, also known as solar photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun's energy using photovoltaic cells. These cells don't need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting.

The benefits of solar electricity

• Cut your electricity bills: sunlight is free, so once you've paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be reduced.
• Get paid for the electricity you generate: the government’s Feed-In Tariffs pay you for the electricity you generate, even if you use it.
• Sell electricity back to the grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you can't use it, you can sell the surplus back to the grid.
• Cut your carbon footprint: solar electricity is green, renewables energy and doesn't release any harmful carbon dioxide] or other pollutants. A typical home solar PV system could save over a tonne of carbon dioxide per year – that's more than 30 tonnes over its lifetime.

APH are fully accredited by the government to supply and install your photovoltaic panels.  We can also advise and help with grants and tariffs.

Factors that affect PV installation costs are:

• The more electricity the system can generate, the more it costs but the greater the saving or ‘income’.
• Larger systems are usually more cost-effective than smaller systems (up to 4kWp).
• PV panels are all around the same price per kWp, but PV tiles cost much more than a typical system made up of panels.
• Panels built into a roof are more expensive than those that sit on top.

Green deal finance

This technology is an eligible measure under the UK government’s Green Deal which is a financing mechanism that lets people pay for energy-efficiency improvements through savings on their energy bills.

Savings

A 3.5kWp system can generate around 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year – about three quarters of a typical household's electricity needs. It will save over a tonne of carbon dioxide every year.

If your system is eligible for the Feed-In Tariff scheme it could generate savings and income of around £645 a year (based on a 3.5kWp solar PV system eligible for a generation tariff of 15.44p/kWh). You will get paid for both the electricity you generate and use, and what you don't use and export to the grid. When applying for FITs you will need to show evidence of your property's Energy Performance Certificate and this will affect what tariff you can get.