Solar panels take energy from the sun and convert it into electricity. The panels make electricity throughout the daylight hours with peak output during the brightest hours of the day.
Nearly every home is suitable for solar panel installation and as such, each home can benefit from green electricity and reduced reliance of the mains supply national grid. Is your home suitable for solar panel installation?
Installation Location
Ideally a pitched south facing roof is the best option for the installation of solar panels in order to gain the greatest electrical output from them. West and east facing roofs are not excluded from the installation of solar panels but north facing roofs will receive the least sunlight in the UK.
The roof should not be covered by any shade from neighbouring properties, trees or other obstacles and should be in a sound structural condition.
Size of Roof
The bigger your roof the more panels can be installed. Solar panels are quite large and a modest system can require around 20 square metres of roof space for panels. The larger the solar panel system you require, the more roof space will be required in order to install.
Angle of the Roof
The steeper the angle of the roof the more likely the solar panels are to receive shade at some point in the day. The shallower the roof (down to flat roof) would mean that panels would get dirty quicker and may not ‘self-clean’, the build up of debris would affect the panels efficiency quickly.
The ideal pitch angle of the roof is around 30 to 45 degrees.
Installation on roofs outside of this pitch is possible, angled frames can be installed to maximise the panels sunlight exposure and production so don’t worry too much if your roof doesn’t meet the exact angle specification.
Frequently asked questions
I’m not home during the day to use power, is it worth it?
There are appliances that will use power throughout the day whilst you are at work which can be powered from the solar panel system but if you want to take maximum advantage then consider a solar battery system installation to complement the solar panels. A battery system will store the energy created by the panels during the day for use when you return home from work.
If you would like to know more about adding a battery to the solar panel system, check our battery storage page.
Do solar panels produce power without the sun?
Even though sunlight is needed for solar panels to produce their maximum electrical output, they can still make electricity even on cloudy days. This is really good news for the UK of course.
How much do solar panels weigh?
In the UK the average weight of solar panels is between 18 and 30 kilograms which includes the frames used to mount them. Most modern roofs in the UK have sufficient structural capacity to cope with a solar panel system installation.
If you would like more information regarding solar panel systems then get in touch with us today at Electrics Fixed and we will be happy to answer any questions that you have or carry out a quote for you.
