Frequently Asked Questions

The are 3 basic types of construction of PV panels though all of those shown here use silicon.

Monocrystalline cells are cut from a single crystal of silicon- they are effectively a slice from a crystal. 
In appearance, it will have a smooth texture and you will be able to see the thickness of the slice. 
These are the most efficient and the most expensive to produce. They are also rigid and must be mounted in a rigid frame to protect them.

Polycrystalline (or Multicrystalline) cells are effectively a slice cut from a block of silicon, consisting of a large number of crystals. 
They have a speckled reflective appearance and again you can you see the thickness of the slice. 
These cells are slightly less efficient and slightly less expensive than monocrystalline cells and again need to be mounted in a rigid frame.

Amorphous cells are munufactured by placing a thin film of amorphous (non crystalline) silicon onto a wide choice of surfaces. These are the least effient and least expensive to produce of the three types. Due to the amorphous nature of the thin layer, it is flexible, and if manufactured on a flexible surface, the whole solar panel can be flexible. 
One characteristic of amorphous solar cells is that their power output reduces over time, particularly during the first few months, after which time they are basically stable. The quoted output of an amorphous panel should be that produced after this stabalisation.

There are many reasons to install PV solar panels:

• It is the most practical and economically viable option for many applications in remote areas.
• It is completely pollution free. Installing a small domestic system of around 1.5 kW would provide around 1000 kWh of electricity every year, this would save around half a tonne of CO2 annually.
• PV can be integrated into the fabric of a building. Electricity can be supplied at the point of use.
• Solar panels will run silently.
• There is very little maintenance required for solar panels.
• After the initial installation costs, there are no further fuel costs.
• PV systems are modular, and can be added to at any time.
• You can install your own solar panels if you know a bit of DIY and greatly reduce your costs. But this way you may not qualify for Feed-in Tariff earnings. FIT requires solar kits to be installed by MCS certified installers.

PV has many applications, both for stand-alone solar panels and for integration onto buildings. PV has been used for many years in many countries in applications such as monitoring stations, telephone kiosks and street lighting to name just a few examples.

There is also a large market for PV solar panels in the leisure industry. You can now buy garden equipment such as solar power fountains. Or what about battery chargers for boats and caravans?

Increasingly, solar photovoltaic energy has become more widely used in urban areas, where solar panels can be integrated into new buildings or mounted onto existing buildings. It has become a rapidly growing market throughout Europe.

In fact, we believe all new buildings should incorporate PV solar panels. Its a no brainer! And you can retro fit most homes with solar panels as well. Also, it needn't cost you a fortune either. You can do it 'on the cheap'. For more information click here.

Solar photovoltaic energy is ideally suited to large towns and cities, providing pollution free and noise free electricity without using extra space.

PV solar panels are also widely used in the developing world. The technology is particularly useful here, where electricity is unreliable or non-existent. Remote locations often make PV power supply the most economic option.

There are different types of solar panel technology and the size of available roof space, angle to the sun, pitch of the roof and budget will have an effect of how much solar electricity you can produce.

Usually the best solar panels to use are Monocrystalline photovoltaics, since they yield more than 16% efficiency, and any inverter that has efficiency greater than 96% is considered ideal.

Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) became available in Great Britain on 1st April 2010. And isn’t available in Northern Ireland - although this is under review. Under this scheme energy suppliers have to (compulsory for big six suppliers) make regular payments to householders and communities who generate their own electricity from renewable or low carbon sources such as solar electricity panels(PV) or wind turbines.

The FITs scheme guarantees a minimum payment for all electricity generated by the system, as well as a separate payment for the electricity exported to grid. These payments are in addition to the bill savings made by using the electricity generated on-site.

Once you have a microgeneration technology installed you should experience a monthly reduction in your electricity bill and then receive an income from your Feed-in tariff provider. However, if you have taken out a loan to pay for the installation you will have to make monthly repayments to your loan company.

Feed-in tariffs are designed so that the average monthly income from your installation will be significantly greater than your monthly loan repayment (with a 25 year loan).

It is more instructive to think of solar as an investment that yields an annual return, much as a bank savings account provides interest. A solar PV system may generate savings that would equal an annual Return on Investment (ROI) of 7% to 15% per year at today's electric rates. These savings are not taxed as would be the interest earned from a bank savings account. Thus you would have to find a bank account or investment yielding 14% to 28% to equal the return on a solar electric system. No matter what ROI your system would generate, this is ultimately a choice about how you will be buying your power - not whether or not you will be paying for it!

You may prefer to pay the utility bill forever, or you may choose to become your own utility with solar PV, instead. Typically, looking at todays high efficiency systems, it can payback for itself within 5-8 years.

The average lifetime of a PV module can be 25 years. Crystalline silicon modules in particular have a very long life span.

In addition, they require very little maintenance. Other system components will have a varied lifespan, for example batteries in stand-alone systems can last between 2 and 15 years depending on type.

You will need to use a grid-tie inverter. If you wish to get paid for the electricity you produce, you will need to ensure a G83-certified inverter is used.

However, many people use non-G83 certified inverters, and simply do not bother with an export account. In many cases the household will always be consuming more electricty than that being fed into the grid, therefore, the net effect is zero export.

For the majority of homeowners the addition of solar panels fall within 'permitted development rights', which means that the panels will be more or less flush with the roof.

If your property is in a conservation area, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or is a listed building you may need to apply for full planning permission.

We recommend checking with your local council to see what their stance is on solar panels, although most people install PVs without doing this

One of the greatest benefits are the savings. And, even better, there are number of different savings that come from purchasing Solar Energy Systems, and using them as a major part of your life.

What type of savings are there with Solar Energy?

• There are monetary savings
• There are environmental savings
• There are Energy/Resource savings
• There are Carbon/Greenhouse Gas savings

Each and every one of these savings can have a major impact on your life, the lives of people around you, and the lives of people all around the world. What a tremendous feeling it is to do something that benefits people around the world. Well, that’s what Solar Energy does…each and every Solar Energy System that is installed has environmental benefits that reach around the world…and through time.

Monetary Savings: The cost of living is continuing to rise. Fuel Oil, Gasoline, and other forms of energy, including electricity, are continually rising in price. This has caused tighter budgets for many families and businesses than ever before. Luckily, Solar Energy offers a tremendous way to save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Whether you install a Solar Hot Water Heater, or a Solar Electric (PV) System for some application around the home or office, you will begin saving money on electrical, fuel oil, and usage of other forms of Fuel that you utilize in your life today. Imagine if your electricity were free…you could take the amount you spend on electricity every year and put it directly in your pocket instead of the electric company’s. Or, imagine if you could heat your hot water and your home without the need for fuel oil, LP, or an electric water heater. This is what Solar Energy Offers you…literally hundreds of ways to save money each and every day.

Energy/Resource Savings: If you were producing your own energy using the sun, then you are no longer using up some of the limited resources that electric companies use for energy production…in a sense, you are saving resources because there is now a lower draw on the power lines, or one less customer filling up their fuel oil tank. Because there is only a certain amount of natural resources such as coal and oil among others, it is possible, and imminent that we will run out of these resources someday in the near future. With your move to Solar Energy, you are doing your part to limit the consumption of these fossil fuels, and ensure that they last just a little bit longer…long enough for the world to have taken note of the benefits of Solar Energy, and other forms of Renewable Energy…and begin to take the steps that are necessary to make RE a major of the life of every person who lives on this Earth.

Environmental Savings: There is a consensus among many in the Scientific and Political Worlds that one of the leading causes of global warming is the Greenhouse Effect…which is mainly caused by the buildup of Greenhouse Gases, such as Carbon Dioxide, in the atmosphere, which traps the Sun’s Heat here on the Earth, raising the global temperature above what it should be at. Because of the detrimental ecological effects that Global Warming has, and will continue to have on the Earth, many Green Conscious people have began to look for ways to lower their Carbon footprint (the amount of Carbon that they are responsible for putting into the atmosphere every year). Your Carbon footprint includes your driving, travel on planes, as well all the electricity that you use, and the fuel oil that you burn. One of the easiest ways to lower your Carbon Footprint is to lower the amount of Carbon burning resources that you use…investing in a Solar Energy System for electrical or hot water heating usage will lower your Carbon Footprint, and help stave off Global Warming just a little bit longer. People all around the world whose lives could be destroyed by Global Warming, and future generations will thank you for doing your part to help out.

To make things easier for you to design, purchase, and install a Solar Energy System, Solar Plexus has a number of Prepackaged, Ready to install Solar Energy Systems that you can purchase.

These systems include most of the major components that are needed to install and get these systems up and running. Solar Plexus carries complete Solar Kits for  Grid-Tied Solar Electric (PV) and for Off-Grid Solar Electric (PV).

Please see below for the different Complete Systems that are available from Solar Plexus. Please click on any of these to be guided to the appropriate product page:

Grid Tie Photovoltaic Kits for Residential use

Off Grid Photovoltaic Kits for Residential/Commercial use

• Site Survey
  This great resource allows customers and site visitors alike to determine the solar resources available not only in their geographic area, but at their specific site as well. This guide takes into account such things as surrounding trees and buildings, which are critical to properly placing your solar system. Our MCS approved installers will carry out the site survey for you and advise on all necessary recommendations, if deemed necessary.

 

 

• Solar PV Sizing Guide
  
  This guide is the perfect resource for determining how much energy your home or office consumes on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. This information can be used to determine how large of a solar system you would need to provide power for your current usage levels, or just to help your family lower your power usage by showing you where your largest electrical costs are. Click here to use this resource. 

• Wiring Guide
  Use this resource to determine which gauge wire you should use for your electrical project. This chart accounts for power levels and distance travelled to perfectly size the wire for any solar energy system. A handy resource for the DIY or contract electrician to have with them at all times. Click here to view the guide.

 

• Battery Sizing Guide
  Click here to use this resource to determine how many batteries, and what size batteries you need to complete your next solar energy project.

Mounting your solar panels properly is nearly as, if not as, important as choosing the right solar panels, and the correct size system for your application and budget. Improperly mounted solar panels can become damaged, ineffective, and cost more money in the long run than spending the initial money to properly mount them in the first place.

When mounting your solar panels, there are many factors to take into account. These factors include: magnetic declination, latitude and longitude of your home, the orientation of your roof, and much more. Please Click Here

There are many different options for solar panel mounting, each with their own benefits and limitations, and each designed for specific, different, mounting challenges. The four main types of solar panel mounting hardware are:

• Roof Flush Mount
  A Roof Flush Mount does specifically what it sounds like it does; it mounts your solar panels flush with your roof (elevated about 1-2 inches above the level of the roof. This allows for a very clean, aesthetically pleasing finish in which your solar panels appear to be nothing more than an extension or part of your roof. The benefit of this type of mount is that they are relatively inexpensive, and work great for locations where an appropriate roof pitch is already available. GridMaxx GT Grid-Tied Solar Kits and RemoteMaxx Remote/Cabin Off-Grid Solar Kits from DIY Solar Guide come standard with Roof Flush Mount Kits.

• Ground/Roof Tilt Mount
  These mounts are designed to be used on flat roofs, the ground, or on roofs where the tilt is not adequate for solar panel installation. These mounts tilt up your solar panels, enabling them to capture the maximum amount of sunlight possible for the best efficiency and ROI from your new solar system. Ground/Roof Tilt Mounts are generally more expensive than Roof Flush Mounts.

• Top of Pole Mounts
  These specifically engineered mounts require a pole that is secured in the ground, which is used to secure a rack on top, which will hold a predetermined number of solar panels. These mounts are generally adjustable in their angle, allowing for maximum solar exposure at any latitude, and are typically the most expensive solar panel mount available.

• Side of Pole Mount
  Much like a Top of Pole Mount, the Side of Pole Mount requires a pole to be secured in the ground. The mount is then attached part way up the pole, where it will hold a predetermined number of solar panels in place. These mounts are most typically used in lighting, pumping, and small scale applications. For larger pole mount applications, it is recommended that you use the Top of Pole Mounts.

There are literally countless applications that Solar Energy, in one form another, can be used for. In fact, the diversity of Solar Energy, along with its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, is one of the strongest benefits and selling points of Solar Energy today.

Here is a list of just some of the uses of Solar Energy…At your home or office, Solar Energy can be used in one, or any combination of these applications to reduce your electric and fossil fuel dependence as much as you would like.

• Domestic Hot Water Heating
• Hot Water – Radiant Floor Heating
• Passive Solar Air Heating
• Hot Water For Apartments, Hotels, etc
• Commercial and Industrial Hot Water Usage
• Pool Heating (indoor/outdoor)
• Spa/Hot Tub Heating
• Laundromats
• Car Washes
• Complete (or partial) Electric for Your Home
• Complete Power for Remote Cabins/Cottages
• Power for the Construction Site (tools, computers, communications equipment)
• Power for Pumping Stations
• Power for Telecom Stations
• Sign Lighting
• Street/Parking Lot Lighting
• Garden/Landscape/Path/Home Lighting
• Security/Motion Sensor Lighting
• Portable Power for Charging Electronics

Now, to be honest, we could sit here all day and list countless applications that Solar Energy is used for, and that you could use it for yourself, but from this list, you should get an idea of what different applications Solar Energy can be used to help you start saving money today.

Usually anything from 2-3 days, assuming all issues have been sorted by the site survey. We provide MCS approved installers for the job.

Choosing the right battery for your application is very critical to ensuring that your solar system operates at peak efficiency, and lasts for as many hours of nighttime or cloudy weather. Whether you need something small, like powering your laptop, or a large battery bank for your new grid-tied or off-grid solar system for your home or office, batteries are one of the critical components of most electrical systems that we use today.

If you are using a small electronic device such as a walkman, CD player, or Remote Control, our rechargeable AA Solar Batteries are perfect for you.

If you are doing small solar applications such as pumping or lighting, generally, one of our smaller sealed lead acid batteries will be about the right size for you.

If you are working on a larger application, such as solar power for your home, office, or large scale remote lighting or power projects, deep cycle batteries are going to be right choice for you.

To determine how many of which batteries you need…you need to determine how many amps of power you are using…and therefore, how many amps of battery storage you need to provide for your system.

To do this you should determine which appliances or power consuming items will be hooked up to your solar system. Then you need to determine the wattage and voltage of those items (this can generally be found on the label).

Amps= watts/volts

Then determine how many hours you use each of those appliances, multiply the amps for each appliance by the number of hours that it is used.

This gives you the number of amphours (Ah) that you need for each of your appliances.

When you add all those numbers together, you will have a total number of Ah that you need to supply with your Solar System for your appliances to operate as they do with a standard electrical source. This number of Ah is the Ah worth of batteries that you should purchase for your system.

As an example, lets, take an appliance that runs at 1500W. Assuming the Solar Kit we use is running on 24 volts DC, we would see it required 62.5Ah to run for an hour. In order to run it for 6 hours on batteries, you would need 375Ah, so you can have 3 x 125Ah batteriesthat should suffice.

If you are running the same system on 12 volts, the appliance would now require 125Ah to run for an hour. For 6 hours, it would need  750Ah.

Under no circumstances more than 40% of the battery charge should be drained. If you calculate 750Ah of usage for each 6 hours in the example above, we suggest that you have a battery bank of 1875Ah, so only 40% of this is used in 6 hours i.e. 750Ah. If batteries are constantly drained for more than 40%, this repeated drainage can halve the battery life.

Sizing your PV System is not as tricky as it may seem. In fact, many so called professionals use information that is readily available to you in order to determine what size Solar Electric System you need. It is one of the best kept secrets of the Solar Energy World…and Solar Plexus is going to show you the tools that you can use to determine how large or small of a Solar Energy System you need to power a portion, or all of your home or office electrical needs with Solar Energy. And, the best news…each and every one of these tools and databases are FREE! Can’t beat that can you?

*please note that Solar Plexus recommends Grid-Tied Solar Electric Systems because of their ability to use grid electricity as a backup and to take advantage of Feed-in Tariff Scheme rules to sell back your excess electricity for additional income and return on investment from your Solar Electric System.

To begin, you will need an electric bill…preferably one from a summer month, and one from a winter month. On your electric bill it tells you how much electricity you use…kwh (kilowatt hours) per month. The average of your summer electric bill and your winter electric bill is the monthly average electric usage of your home.

Next, you need to decide how much of your electrical usage you would like to replace with Solar Energy. The higher the percentage the higher the initial cost of your solar system, but the more your monthly energy savings will be, and therefore, the more cost-effective your Solar Electric System will be. To get an idea of the wattage that you will need, please click here. We have compiled a household appliance energy consumption or wattage guide.

For example, if your electric bills average out that you use 500kwh of electricity each month, you need to determine what percentage of that you would like to power using Solar Energy. Do you want to replace 50% of your Power Needs? 75%? 100%? That is entirely up to you. And once you have figured that out, you are ready for the next step that will tell you what size Solar Energy System you will need to offset your power needs.

With your electrical needs in hand, you are ready to use a great online resource, that is FREE, which will help you determine what size Solar Electric System you will need to purchase and install for your home or office.

The online program is call PVWatts, and we strongly strongly recommend that you use Version 1 for its ease of use. You can find and use PVWatts here. (In the right column on the PVWATTS page you will have to choose your region, UK is number 5 under Europe, then click on 'Start PVWATTS for International Sites' button below) Simply follow the online instructions, and in no time you will know exactly what size Grid-Tied Solar System you need, which you can then purchase right here from Solar Plexus.