20+ Years Experience
Specialist Solar PV Panels
PV (Photovoltaic) solar panels are the most common form of residential renewable energy used across the UK, producing power from solar energy and putting it straight into your home. They are easily the most famous source of natural energy and something that many homeowners consider installing at least once in their life.
A decrease in price and increase in popularity have made these panels very available to the average homeowner, with around 4,000 solar panels installed each month in the UK. However, installing solar panels can be a commitment – one that you might not be ready for.
We are a team of dedicated solar PV panels experts with a passion for installing brand new solar PV systems and bringing renewable energy to homes that need it. Whether you want solar panels as a serious addition or just a small curiosity, we know how to deliver the options that suit your needs best.
We can install a range of solar panels to suit different situations, offering the exact kind of solar PV system that you want. While all solar panels can generate solar power from the sun’s energy, there are a lot of different designs and elements that change how PV systems can work. If you are looking for something specific, then our expertise can help us find a system that matches your requirements perfectly.
We are accredited residential and commercial solar panel installers that have worked with countless past clients, delivering personalised solar systems and renewable energy sources that are designed to match their requirements. We have served a wide range of commercial and residential interests, delivering bespoke solar PV systems to each client.
Our specialists carry all of the relevant licenses and certifications needed to get the job done, allowing us to install solar panels of any type. Whether you want a fully custom solar panel system or just a single solar power panel, we can find the right option for your needs.
As a company, we carry several major certifications from groups like CHAS and Constructionline. Our work with solar panel systems has earned us a lot of support, and that includes professional certifications that allow us to tackle niche power systems and solar panel types.
With over 10 years of total experience installing solar PV products, alongside many other kinds of solar power systems or energy systems, we know what we are doing. Every one of our specialists is trained to a high standard of skill, and we ensure maximum quality on all renewable energy systems we install.
One of our core aims is to keep prices low, something we do through strong relationships with our suppliers. We want to make safe, clean, usable energy a readily available option for residential, commercial and industrial clients alike.
A solar PV panel is made with an array of solar cells, each of which can convert sunlight into renewable energy. This does not need to be direct sunlight, but the amount of energy a solar cell can generate depends on how much of the sun’s energy is reaching it.
All solar PV systems are made up of several panels, which are themselves made up of many solar cells. A single panel typically generates around 355 Watts of energy in strong direct sunlight, sending it out as DC (direct current) energy.
To use this solar panel correctly, an inverter needs to be installed alongside the solar system, converting the DC energy to AC (alternating current). From here, you can use this energy as normal or even export it back to the grid for a small profit.
There are many different types of solar panels and solar power products available in the UK, all of which operate in a slightly different way. While all solar panels work in the same basic way, your solar panel system could use a variety of different panel types that all offer their own benefits and drawbacks.
While the type of solar panels you use may not matter to everybody, it can still be important to construct a solar panel system that you find practical. The types of solar panels you use have a direct impact on the amount of electricity generated, and there are a lot of smaller factors that influence how they work.
Monocrystalline panels are created using wafers of single-crystal silicon. These tend to be one of the more expensive choices for a solar system, but they are also far more efficient at generating electricity thanks to their unique design – boasting an efficiency rating of between 15 -25% and a lifespan of 30-50 years.
This means that they tend to be some of the most costly but practical options on the market, producing more energy in exchange for a higher initial set-up cost. They are also some of the most aesthetically pleasing solar PV panels, making them a popular choice for people who care about how their home looks with solar panels installed.
Unlike monocrystalline panels, polycrystalline solar cells need to be produced with moulds. This gives them a mosaic-style design that is much more affordable for a larger solar panel system since less silicon is wasted.
This also comes with a downside – this kind of solar PV system is less efficient, with a rating of only around 13-16% in total. Their lifespan is also ten years shorter than their monocrystalline counterparts, down to between 30 and 45 years.
Thin film solar panels are completely different to the other two solar panel system options. Made with thin layers of photovoltaic material layered on top of each other, the efficiency rating can vary anywhere between 7-13%.
This lower efficiency is all in service of being more aesthetically pleasing. These are some of the nicest-looking solar panels, making them a popular choice for any domestic PV system whose owner really does not want to compromise the aesthetics of their home.
While these solar panels work as expected, they are also far less practical due to the reduced efficiency and lifespan of only 10-20 years. However, they also tend to cost less and are still a great option for people who just want to generate electricity to supplement their existing power options.
Solar energy can be a great addition to any home, but that does not mean that every home is suitable for installing solar panels on. Understanding the requirements of using solar panels well means taking a look at what your home can offer and whether or not your property is prepared.
For example, the positioning of your roof can matter. Both the direction and angle will make a difference when you are installing solar panels since these impact how much electricity the system is able to generate based on how much sunlight it gets.
This is something that we can help you figure out before installation, talking over your options for installing solar panels in effective and efficient places. Beyond that, even the size of your system can matter since rural areas tend to have larger solar PV system designs to accommodate their energy needs.
The three types of solar panels mentioned above are all usable options for any solar PV system, but that does not make them all equal. While they will all fit into photovoltaic systems just fine, you still need to choose the solar electricity options that match your needs the best.
Monocrystalline panels are the most expensive, making them the least common for most PV systems. Polycrystalline solar PV panels tend to be the most popular since they are cheaper but still offer more usable electricity than thin film panels.
Thin film panels are the most practical for making the best use of your roof space since they can be bent around objects to form curved or angled shapes. If you are working with awkward roof designs, a solar array of thin film panels is one of the easiest ways to cover your roof.
However, thin film solar PV panels also have the lowest efficiency rating, meaning that it can sometimes be more practical to choose higher-efficiently photovoltaic panels if you want to get the best value for money. If you are only using a small number of panels, always choose the ones that produce electricity most effectively.
It is only natural to care about how your home looks. While it might not be as immediately important as solar panel efficiency or cost, it is only natural to have issues with any PV system that makes your home or office look worse, especially if it decreases the space’s value.
The larger the scale your new solar photovoltaic system will be, the more complex it can become to set up. If you need more solar photovoltaic panels, then you need to have the systems and space available to actually make them all usable.
The cost of solar panels is heavily dependent on the kind that you are buying and how many solar panels you actually get.
Most solar panels can cost anywhere between £2,900 and £6,700, according to UK averages, with a typical three-bedroom-house two-PV-panels system costing around £5,420. Of course, this changes dramatically the moment you introduce new elements or increase the scale of the project.
While certain panels are more expensive than others, their costs are not usually that different on a per-panel basis. The installation itself is the part that adds more costs, whether that is because you are using more solar photovoltaic panels or just because the installation process is more complex for the panels that you chose.
Of course, you also need to consider the costs of using your solar panels. While a solar panel will not cost much to actually run outside of occasional repairs, you still need to think about the electricity generation rate.
In some cases, you can sell excess electricity back to the natural grid or store surplus electricity in batteries for later use. This means that more efficient options are technically going to pay for themselves faster, whereas less energy-efficient panels are going to take longer.
To some people, this can mean that using less efficient solar panels is effectively costing more since the energy produced is lower, and you are therefore paying more for each hour of energy generated. If you think this way too, then be sure to look at the maximum output of your chosen panels.
Solar panels can be installed in a wide variety of areas and spaces, including:
We are able to provide a wide range of solar panel installation options for domestic and residential spaces, offering energy-efficient ways to harness the sun’s energy for yourself. Whether you connect your system to a battery storage option or just use it as a way to reduce your energy bills, we have many different options to choose from.
A domestic panel system allows you to use electricity produced naturally through sunlight, giving your home a source of renewable electricity. This can cut down on costs and allow you to sell back to the national grid, as well as ensure that you have more energy available when necessary.
We can install a huge range of solar electricity systems in commercial spaces. A commercial area can benefit heavily from having renewable energy sources due to the high running costs involved in keeping a business open and serving customers on a regular basis.
Access to free and renewable electricity keeps your energy bills low and allows you to sell back excess electricity, giving you far fewer running costs. Beyond that, starting your solar journey can be a good PR move, especially if you run a lot of electrical appliances for customers each day.
Industrial spaces can benefit from solar panels just as much as commercial ones. Having access to an easy source of extra power can provide both emergency electricity and more methods of keeping your business green.
Beyond that, most solar energy methods can provide more energy for free almost indefinitely, making them a very affordable option in the long run.
There are countless places where you can install solar panels – really, they can support any building as long as there is a suitable space to install them. This includes:
The installation of a solar panel is a lot simpler than you might think, but only if you understand how the process actually works. Solar energy sounds complex, but it is simply just another way of generating electricity, and most of the work is done by the panels themselves.
Scaffolding needs to be installed before any solar panel or battery storage installation. This allows for the safe movement of individual components, as well as better safety in general when the specialists are installing the electrical gear you need.
The second step is always to install the mounts for the panel system. Without a proper mount, most solar modules simply will not be easy to install, and trying to jury-rig your own mount can just result in them falling apart far too fast.
Mounts also dictate the angle and position of the panel, so they need to be planned in advance. Ideally, the entire structure should be angled between 30 and 40 degrees, aimed in whatever direction gets them as much sun exposure as possible.
Installing the panels is simple enough – our experts attach the solar photovoltaic panels to their mount frameworks, then tighten any nuts and bolts, keeping them in place. We always double-check to make sure that the panels are connected correctly.
Once the panels are in place, we move on to adding the wiring and electrical circuit systems the panels need. Getting these right is important – the wires need to be attached correctly and capable of handling the energy output that the solar panels will create.
This part of the process involves turning off all power to the house – any energy output going through the existing wires would make it impossible to add new ones.
The inverter can be placed either inside or outside of the house and is used to switch the current type of the panels’ power output. This is required to make the energy actually usable.
Remember that DC electricity is what is generated, but AC is what most properties and appliances use. The inverter is an important part of making that DC electricity into suitable AC energy.
Alongside the inverter is the battery, which stores more energy to use during cloudy hours when solar energy output drops significantly.
After that, we need to link all of the new additions to your consumer unit, along with a generation metre to help track energy output.
Finally, we test the system to make sure that there are no problems and that the solar energy is all being generated safely. If something is wrong, then we will open the system back up and attempt to fix the problem.
If something goes wrong with your solar energy system, later on, we can be there to provide the repairs and replacements that you might need. The last thing you want is a solar energy system that is broken, especially if it is still trying to feed power into your home.
There are many benefits to using solar energy panels, and not all of them are the immediately obvious answers that we all expect. Solar energy can have a range of unique advantages over other energy sources, and the panels themselves are also useful for a range of reasons.
Solar energy is effectively free once your system is in place, meaning that you are paying far less on your energy bills. Even one solar photovoltaic panel can reduce electricity bills dramatically, making it a great addition to any building that has high electricity bills in general.
This reduced cost also means that most solar panels will pay for themselves eventually. The money you save on electricity bills is effectively the profit you are making from the panel, whether you are selling surplus energy or just enjoying the savings.
A lower carbon footprint is always good. Not only does it protect the environment and contribute far less to pollution (outside of the panel being manufactured in the first place), but a decent solar module will also help you avoid any carbon footprint fines or taxes.
Many businesses that turn to solar power do so because they want the cheaper option, and that includes fines. Considering that excessive pollution is often taxed, it can be a smart business decision to use clean, free energy for less important parts of your business or property.
Solar panels are quick and easy to install, especially with the help of specialists like us. This means that you are not going to be waiting around for months until the panels are prepared, allowing you to get solar panels quickly and easily with very little downtime.
Because of this, it is not hard to slap some solar panels onto a newly-renovated home at the very end of the project or install some on a whim. No matter the solar journey you are taking, solar panels are a great option that will not interrupt other property improvement projects or construction work.
Renewable energy is extremely useful. Not only does it provide benefits like the Feed-In Tariff scheme (the Feed-In Tariff scheme rewards investment in renewables), but it also provides more ways to get emergency power if all else fails.
Some rural communities or properties are designed to use mostly renewable power, allowing them to be self-sufficient. In other cases, renewable energy can produce an infinite source of surplus electricity to sell back to an energy company for profit.
Having free energy generated in a renewable way can be incredibly valuable. Whether it is through solar thermal panels or an entire solar array, a simple battery can provide an emergency power source that is guaranteed to keep running even if you lose connection with your area’s main power lines.
There are very few disadvantages to solar electricity, but it is important to mention the minor issues that you may encounter.
The initial cost of solar panels, solar thermal systems and any other kind of solar energy system can be quite high. The cost of buying and installing these units in larger numbers can become hard to afford, especially for independent homeowners.
However, this is an investment that usually pays off. The high cost is offset by the fact that panels can effectively generate infinite energy forever as long as you keep them running, and that energy can even be sold to turn a profit in the short term and long term.
Solar panels need sunlight to work, and that forces them to rely on weather quite heavily. Bad weather is going to compromise the amount of electricity generated, although most panels can still generate small amounts of power until there is no sunlight left.
This is why placing your panels in a smart place, like a south-facing roof, is so important. A south-facing roof panel at the right angle can generate power efficiently through maximum power point tracking, even under cloudy skies.
Even the smallest photovoltaic modules can take up quite a lot of space. PV modules and battery storage units are not small, and having to combine solar PV systems with small spaces can seem tough at first.
However, you just need to be smart about where you place the systems. Battery storage modules and solar panels can be installed in a huge range of suitable locations, with the only risk being that battery storage units need to be protected from rain and water damage. This makes it very easy to find a suitable place to install each module.
Both heat pumps and solar panels are renewable, but solar panels have the upper hand here. Not only can you earn money by selling power through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), but solar panels work in all weather and provide more than just raw heat.
While a heat pump can be effective at keeping your house warm, a solar panel offers actual electricity, making them more flexible in general.
Generators are often more effective in terms of raw power output, but they also guzzle fuel to keep running and produce a lot of pollution, to the point that most can’t even be placed inside without flooding your property with carbon monoxide.
Solar panels might be less efficient, but they are cheaper, simpler, cleaner, and can operate without needing any kind of fuel. They also eventually pay for themselves and have no real running costs.
Getting electricity straight from the grid comes with one problem – energy bills. Solar panels can not only cover your needs for free, but the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) allows you to sell energy back to the government.
The Smart Export Guarantee alone can be a good enough reason to upgrade to solar panels since you will eventually pay for the entire system and turn an actual profit.
Wind turbines are big, bulky and only really suitable for large patches of empty land. They are also notoriously loud, at least to some people, and there is not really an easy way to buy one for yourself. Solar panels are much more suitable in almost every situation.
Gas boilers, like generators, consume fuel to run. Again, with the Smart Export Guarantee, you can cover the costs of solar panels and turn a profit, whereas boilers become increasingly expensive to run over time. They also rely on a gas mains connection that could be damaged or disconnected all of a sudden.
Solar panels are made with solar cells and photovoltaic cells, which themselves are made of silicon semiconductors. The exact construction of each panel depends on the type and the amount of module efficiency that it can offer.
Solar panels allow you to generate energy, either to power your own property and devices or to sell as part of the Smart Export Guarantee.
Solar panels often fall under permitted development rights, but there can be exceptions. For example, flat-roofed buildings and listed buildings require planning permission, each for dramatically different reasons.
Solar panels can take about two days to install at most, a large portion of which is taken up with constructing the safety scaffolding (if it is needed). This means that you can have a panel installed and working within a few days at most and in as little as four hours if you are really lucky.
Solar power maintenance is fairly cheap, with cleaning only costing about £4 per panel on average if you pay somebody to do it. Replacing components can cost around £100 a year, but most repair work does not need to be done for at least a decade or two, and the unit will easily pay for itself several times in that time frame.
Solar panels need to:
If you are looking for solar panels for your property, then look no further than us. We have a huge range of panel options available, as well as the skills and experience to install them quickly and conveniently. Our experts understand how solar panels work and how to build the perfect system for a client that wants them.
If you want to know more about the solar panels that we can offer and the systems that we can construct, get in touch and talk to some of our specialists. We can discuss everything from our rates to the panel options we have on offer, tailoring our services to meet your needs.
We are always looking forward to taking on more clients, and we know how to get the job done well. Whatever you are looking for in your solar panel system, we are here to make it happen.
If you have any further questions, contact us directly and talk to our staff about your needs. The more we know, the sooner we can get started on providing you with the solar panel solutions you are looking for.
Make sure you contact us today for a number of great solar panel services.
We absolutely love the service provided. Their approach is really friendly but professional. We went out to five different companies and found Solar PV Panels to be value for money and their service was by far the best. Thank you for your really awesome work, we will definitely be returning!
Louie WillisWe have used Solar PV Panels for many years as they are certainly the best in the UK. The attention to detail and professional setup is what makes this company our go-to company for all our work. I highly recommend the team for the immense work - we highly recommend them!
Ewan DawsonFor more information on solar panels, fill in the contact form below to receive a free quote today.
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