Solar electricity systems capture the suns energy using photovoltaic (PV) cells which can be attached to your roof or walls. The PV cells convert the sunlight into electricity which can be used to run household appliances and lighting.  PV cells do not need direct sunlight to work; they will still generate electricity on a cloudy day, however the stronger the sun the more electricity is produced.

PV cells come in a variety of shapes and colours, from grey “solar tiles” that look like roof tiles to panels and transparent cells that you can use on conservatories and glass. Each cell is made from two layers of semi-conducting material (usually silicon), when light shines on the cell it creates an electric field.

The strength of a PV cell is measured in kilowatt peak (kWp). That’s the amount of energy the cell generates in full sunlight.

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The benefits of solar electricity

• Cut your carbon footprint: solar electricity is green, renewable energy and doesn’t release any harmful carbon dioxide (CO₂) or other pollutants. A typical home PV system could save over 1 tonne of CO₂ per year – that’s more than 30 tonnes over its lifetime.
• Cut your electricity bills: sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be greatly reduced. A typical home PV system can produce around 50% of the electricity a household uses in a year.
• Sell electricity back to the Grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you can’t use it, someone else can use it – and you could make a bit of money
• Store electricity for a cloudy day: if your home isn’t connected to the national grid you can store excess electricity in batteries to use when you need it.

Costs, savings and maintenance

Costs; an average system (2.7kWp) can cost around £12,000 (including VAT at 5%). Solar electricity systems can cost in the region of £4,000 to £5,000 per kWp installed, the more you have the greater the initial cost but the greater the savings.

Savings can be considerable – around 1.2 tonnes of CO₂ a year. A 2.7 kWp system can generate around 50% of a household’s yearly electricity needs. If the system is eligible to receive the Feed In Tariff it could generate savings and income of around £1,100 per year. Some companies are now offering free solar PV to customers in return for the income generated through FITs. (Hyperlink to FITs page)

Maintenance is generally small – you’ll need to keep the panels relatively clean and make sure trees don’t begin to overshadow them.