The Benefits Of Solar Panel Electricity Systems
Solar panels are a great way of saving big money whilst doing your bit for the environment, and lets face it, who doesn’t want to cut down their Carbon Footprint? But are solar electricity systems the ones for you ? Well hopefully this guide will help you decide weather or not you want to make the big leap and go green.
First of all lets look at the four big benefits of choosing solar panels for your home:
1. Electricity Cuts
The first and main point to address here, is the cuts on your electricity bills. We could all benefit from a little drop off our bills every month, and solar panels can do just that! Sunlight is free! So once you’ve paid for the initial installation fee, your electricity bills will be reduced.
The Energy Saving Trust estimates a typical 4kWp system can knock £130 off a family’s bills each year (this is based on typical usage and will vary depending on how much time is spent at home). I hate to be the barer of bad news, but electricity prices are predicted to rise massively over the next 20 years, which means the amount you’d save would as well if you installed solar pv panels.
2. Get Paid For The Electricity You Save
The good news is, the UK governments ‘Faced – In Tarrifs’ pay you for the electricity you generate, even if you use it. Once the panels are in, the installer will send you an MCS certificate. You then register for feed-in payments with your energy supplier to get the feed-in payments.
3. Sell Electricity Back To The Grid
If your system is providing too much energy and you are producing more than you need, you can sell the electricity back to the grid.
4. Cut Your Carbon Footprint
No I wasn’t joking about the Carbon Footprint! Solar electricity is green renewable 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. Impressive stuff!
Still interested in switching to solar electricity systems? Well there are a few things you need to have to be able to qualify for solar pv panels, such as a south facing roof. You usually need a roof that faces roughly within 45 degrees of south, with no shade from other buildings or trees. While some early or late shading is okay, the roof should be unshaded between 10am and 4pm. If your roof doesn’t fit this criteria, you may not be able to get maximum payments with solar panels.
Whats the cost for solar Electricity Systems I hear you ask, well heres the best bit, you could qualify for free panels. If you live in certain parts of England and have a suitable roof, then a generous company may offer to give you them for free. All they ask for in return is your feed-in tariff cash.
For those of you who don’t qualify for free solar panelling, you should expect to pay about £7,000 for a typical system. However, over 20 years the feed – in payments and electricity savings could add up to roughly £16,000.
Admittedly, this system is best for those of you planning on staying at home for a good few years in order for you to recoup the costs, but could be a great investment for those of you who are.
