Frequently Asked Questions - Solar PV

What sort of returns can I make?

The returns available from installing your own Solar PV system have recently greatly improved. The government has tough renewable energy targets to hit by 2020 and has therefore introduced a Feed-In tariff to entice homeowners and businesses to generate their own electricity. A solar electric PV system for your average house can cost between £6k and £12k. The Feed-In tariff pays you 21p for every unit of electricity you generate and is non taxable. If you pay basic rate tax, the return is equivalent to a 25 year taxable investment paying around 8% per annum. If you are a higher rate (40%) tax payer, the return is equivalent to around 10% per annum (against a 25 year taxable investment). These are guide estimates and can vary slightly depending on various factors.

Will it also reduce my electricity bill?

As well as being paid for electricity you generate you will also benefit from a fall in your electricity bills. How much depends on how and when you use electricity. While the system is generating energy during the daytime your electricity is free. An average user (3300 kWh/yr),  with an average 2kWp system will produce approximately 50% of your annual electrical requirements. You would also offset around 650 kilograms of CO2 emissions.
As electricity bills rise over time your savings will increase! With a solar electric system you'll avoid some of these increases.

Does it affect my home's value

In 2009 The Energy Savings trust carried out a survey and found that 35% of people said they would be willing to pay more for a home where some of their energy supply came from renewable resources; And also half of those questioned were interested to know if their home was suitable for renewable energy.

Why Generate your own energy/Reduce your carbon footprint?

As you are no doubt aware the world faces dwindling oil reserves and ever increasing fuel costs. Add that to the belief that Co2 emissions are causing global warming and generating your own electricity makes perfect sense. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems are a  'clean' source of energy. You can expect to reduce your home’s carbon footprint by around 20%, based on an average system (around 1000kg CO2). Solar PV is a pollution free way of producing electricity.

What’s the installation process?

The installation of a solar electric PV system is relatively simple and the majority of the work is carried out outside and therefore causes minimal disruption to your home. It usually only takes a day or two to install. Quite often scaffolding will need to be erected to ensure the safety of our operatives and comply with health and safety legislation. Customer care is our priority and we would be more than pleased to discuss any concerns you had prior to starting the job.

Where is the best place for solar panels to be located?

During the design stage we will advise you on the best location to maximise the efficiency of your system. Normally panels are best mounted on a south-facing roof at a 30 degree angle. With continuing improvements though in the technology of the panels they can installed almost anywhere. There are two types of roof:
Sloping roof
- As mentioned a directly south facing roof would give the highest possible output from your system, but any system facing, south east, south west, east or west will also provide a great location for the panels. Even roofs facing north will generate power but the returns generated will often not justify the initial outlay. With any roof we would need to check the surrounding area for any potential shading of the system
Flat roofs
- If you have a flat roof then we can design a system that fixes directly onto your roof and faces the optimal direction (due south), this is usually achieved by mounting the panels onto a framework. Planning permission may need to be sought for installations on a flat roof.

Do I need constant sunshine for my PV system to work?

No, our Solar electric PV systems work in all conditions. Direct sunlight will produce the highest output of electricity but on cloudy days the system will also be producing electricity. The annual estimations we will provide are based on average sunlight hours for your specific location

Do I need planning permission?

As mentioned above planning permission is usually required for flat roof installations. As well as these you would require planning permission for installations on flats, listed buildings and buildings within conservation areas. PV systems for standard domestic dwelling most often counts as ‘permitted development’ . This means you can install systems on a sloping roof without the need for planning permission.

Is Solargen accredited under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme?

Yes! Solargen is the specialist division of Allied Protection Ltd, Allied Protection is accredited by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme to install solar pv systems, Reference ECL54278. You need to ensure that you only ever use an MCS accredited installer otherwise you will not be able to register for the feed in tariff.

Where does Solargen install?

We have offices in Sussex and London and cover all of London and the home counties. If you give our helpline a call on 0845 521 2255 we will be more than happy to arrange an appointment for one of our technical team to visit your property.

Which products do you use?

We only use the best top quality products that are accredited by the Microgeneration Scheme (MCS)
We can offer a range of panels and will recommend, depending on your roof size and location, the most suitable panels for your property.
Manufacturers include Sanyo, Sharp, Schott, Hyundai, Canadian Solar, Schuco, Caymax & Mitsubishi
For inverters we use Sunny Boy, Fronius, Aurora Power One and Enecsys Micro inverters.

How much maintenance is required?

Solar PV systems require minimal or zero maintenance. On standard sloping roofs the PV panels are cleaned by the rain; the glass which covers the panels is self-cleaning. We do recommend that a five yearly maintenance visit is carried out with panel cleaning and inverter inspection. Should you have any problems regarding the installation we will deal with the problems with no call out fee for 5 years (see our guarantee below).

How long will my solar PV system last?

Solar PV systems are built to last a minimum of 25 years. If it is looked after well the system will obviously last better. Our inverters are guaranteed for 10 years although they can easily last longer.

What guarantees do you offer?

The equipment we use is guaranteed by the manufacturers to be operating at 80% of the original performance for at least 25 years. Inverters are guaranteed for 5 years
We are accredited under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.
We also offer our own 5 year warranty on our workmanship. If you have an issue we will attend your site at no cost to rectify the issue

Are Solar PV systems safe?

A quick an easy answer to this one - Yes. The systems have are no moving parts and do not emit any toxic chemicals. The vast majority of roofs are 'standard'; if we are in any way unsure about your roof we have specialist structural engineers that we can call on for opinions prior to any work being carried out.