Our renewable energy companies can offer you the chance to reduce your electricity bills and cut your carbon footprint. Having photovoltaic panels installed need not be as expensive as you think, but getting the advice of an expert can be priceless.
Photo-Voltaic Cells?
A photovoltaic cell is what most people think of when they think of a solar panel. Photo-voltaic means it creates electricity directly from solar energy.
What benefit will I get from Photo Voltaic Cells?
By installing photo-voltaic cells to your home, you can reduce your dependency on the national grid, thereby reducing your electricity bill.
Other benefits of photo-voltaic cells:
- Generating electricity using photovoltaic panels is totally silent.
- You do not even need direct sunlight to produce electricity. Modern photovoltaic cells are so effective at generating electricity that they work on cloudy days. A useful feature in Somerset's often cloudy climate.
- No running costs, once the cells are installed all of the electricity produced is totally free and clean. This means that panels of photovoltaic cells quickly pay for themselves.
- With a life span of two to three decades, with require little maintenance needed, photo-voltaic cells will work quietly and effectively all of the time with barely a thought from you.
Frequently asked questions
1. Are photovoltaic cells suitable for my home?
So long as you have an unobstructed roof surface that faces vaguely south (within 90° of true south) photovoltaic cells (PV) will produce electricity. There are a variety of cells available for solar-electrical generation. From large panels, to 'solar tiles' which fit like ordinary roofing tiles but generate electricity.
Although it will generate electricity all year round, photovoltaic cells will not generate enough electricity to run all of the appliances in your home. We recommend the best use for photovoltaic cells is simply for offsetting your electricity consumption or running other green systems in the home.
As an example, a rainwater harvesting or ground source heat pump will run on electricity. Installing photovoltaic cells to produce the required electricity to run these pumps makes the entire system 100% carbon neutral and entirely self sufficient (not to mention free to run).
If you want to use the electricity generated by the panels to offset your mains electricity then you will need an inverter. This will convert the electricity to 240 volts (British mains standard).
2. Is planning permission required for photovoltaic cells?
Probably not. Unless you live in an exempt area (Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas, etc) you can install a photovoltaic system with no planning consent required. There are restrictions, it must be roof mounted or stand alone and rise no more than 200mm for example. It is best to check that your planned installation meets the relevant criteria
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