FIRST STEPS, BEING EFFICIENT

INSTALLATION OF OUR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY 

PV INSTALLATION PHOTOGRAPHS

DAILY PV OUTPUTS

TYPES OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY FOR YOUR HOUSE    

GRANTS    

PLANNING PERMISSION

PAYBACK CALCULATIONS

CONNECTING TO THE GRID 

SELLING YOUR ENERGY AND CLAIMING ROCs

 OUR FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

Solar Photovoltaic needs the following:

•  East to West facing roof preferable at an angle of 45 degrees. Flat roofs are not so good at catching the sun's rays and therefore the panels have to be angled.
• A  site free from building or tree shade.
• Planning consent (not permission) is required. before grants are released. However if  your house is in a conservation area or is listed, you will need to apply for planning permission

There are three main types of panel:

 Bolt On Panels that are fixed onto  the roof. They are fixed through the tiles onto the joists. Once fixed the panels lie slightly proud of the tile surface to a distance of about 80mm. This is the cheapest and most common method of fixing PV panels to existing properties.

Semi Integrated Tiles are replaced with a framework that sits on the joists. The PV panels are then placed in the framework and tiles are laid and butted up to these to form a water proof seal. This is a more expensive method of installation but the tiles are flush with the roof surface.

Integrated The tiles are actually made of PV semi-conductor and cover all or part of the roof.

They can be expensive and are better for new builds or extensive roof renovations.

Full integrated panels

 Guarantees on solar panels run from 20 to 30 years. However because there are no moving parts and therefore no associated wear, the solar panels have an almost indefinite lifespan.

On Grid Systems are the most common for domestic houses. An inverter converts the electricity from DC to AC so it can be used safely in the home. Once connected to the grid you can be paid for excess electricity generated.

Off Grid Systems are usually for more remote locations. Electricity generated during the day can be stored in batteries for use overnight when the system isn't generating electricity.

Most domestic houses will have an on-grid system that feeds through to the electricity supplier. For more information check out our Connecting to the Grid page

Solar PV is a well established technology there are many suppliers.  The Energy Saving Trust has a list of them and can be accessed from this link.

ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT

LINKS WITH SUPPLIERS

INVESTMENT 

OTHER HOUSEHOLDERS' SITES

CONSULTANCY

LINKS/ ARTICLES AND READING

CONTACT US