Solar Panels Dumfries

Solar Panel Installation Dumfries Scotland (DG1): If you are looking at installing solar panels, either for electricity generation or thermal (hot water), for your Dumfries home or business premises, it is wise to get some details about the benefits and drawbacks of what's involved. It is certainly a terrific time to be looking into solar energy installations with Government financed schemes, like the SEG (Smart Export Guarantee) providing ways of making some cash from such systems.

The generation of electricity by capturing the energy from the sun has the technical term "solar photovoltaic". It is possible to achieve great results from an installation on the roof of your property, as there is adequate sunlight in Dumfries for solar PV panels to work successfully. In this way you will be able to reduce your electricity bills, and possibly even get a little cash back via the SEG scheme, by selling your unwanted electricity back to your energy supplier.

To help property owners in Dumfries save energy and reduce their carbon footprint, the government backed Green Homes Grant can be used to offset any expenditure on solar energy panels. This provides vouchers of between £5,000 - £10,000 for energy saving improvements on your home, and was revealed by the Government in the summer of 2020. Couple the Green Homes Grant scheme with the Smart Export Guarantee scheme and you will understand why this is the perfect time to seriously consider a solar PV installation for your Dumfries home.

The requirement for "instantaneous" hot water is always there, no matter how big your home or business premises in Dumfries is. In winter, even during the reduced sunlight hours and weaker sun strength, it will heat up your water and greatly reduce the quantity of energy necessary to bring it up to a suitable temperature. It's even likely, in the warmer months, to meet all your requirements for hot water with the installation of a solar thermal system.

The Renewable Heat Incentive scheme is also accessible to any house owner in Dumfries who's using a solar thermal system to heat their water. The RHI scheme was made available for domestic use on the 9th April 2014, after its original take up in the commercial sector. The scheme, which provides a 7 year package of support, is backed by a government guarantee for all those changing over to renewables. Qualifying participants of the RHI get a three monthly cash payment, dependant upon the type and size of equipment in place, which lasts the full 7 years covered by the scheme.

Before putting a solar power system on the roof of your home in Dumfries, you will need to take these factors into account:

1. Is your property's roof shaded during the day time by buildings or trees? - You want as much sunlight as possible for maximum efficiency, and any shade will lower the energy results from the solar panels.
2. Is your roof facing in a south or south-westerly direction? - This is the perfect direction from which to absorb the maximum possible amount of sunlight on your solar panels.
3. What impact on property values can solar installations have? - The simple, but not particularly useful assessment from the Homeowners Association is that solar panel installations can have both a negative and positive impact on the value of your home. Recent research suggests however, that thanks to the growing awareness in environmental concerns, solar panel installations are having more positive effects on property values than previously.
4. Will you need to have planning permission? - In the majority of instances you'll not need planning permission on your Dumfries property for solar energy panels on your roof. Only if your home is in a conservation area, is a listed building or if you've got a flat roof will you have to check up on the restrictions that may be in place with your local planning authority.

Low-Maintenance - The fact that solar panel systems require little or no maintenance is among their more attractive aspects. So long as they are kept shade-free and clean, today's solar panels should continue to provide electricity for twenty five years or more. If your solar panel system has batteries attached for storage, these will have to be swapped out every 10 years or so, but as technology is continually developing, efficiency and battery life is advancing every year.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint - To help you lower your carbon footprint, the installation of either a solar PV or solar thermal system on your house in Dumfries will mean that you can produce renewable, green energy. The energy generated by solar panels does not create pollutants or emissions and could save nearly two tonnes of carbon emissions from your property annually.

Generate Income - Through the Government subsidised SEG scheme, you can sell any excess electricity that you've produced back to your service provider. This could be used as a credit towards your quarterly power bill, or as cash paid directly to you. This Government endorsed scheme is a contract between the property owner and their electricity supplier. These short contracts provide property owners with the ability to switch electricity providers and get the best available deals.

Reduced Bills - The free energy created by the sun is never going to run out. So, you should take what you can, while you can. Aside from the initial expenditure to install your solar panels, there will be little or no maintenance charges to stress about, and you'll begin to see a reduction in your electricity bills straight away. The extent of your solar installation will have an impact on the savings you can achieve, but the typical solar PV system can save you £90 - £370 (depending on your situation) per year on your bills.

Noise-Free - This is silent technology, with no sound generated by solar panels or the equipment. Other alternative energy options, such as wind generators, can make noises which some people find aggravating. Given that there aren't any moving parts in solar installations in Dumfries, no noise is created.

If you have friends, neighbours and family who have had solar panels installed on their houses, it's always good to ask their advice regarding installers in Dumfries; however you should still get at least three quotes. When obtaining an estimate, ask about grants on offer in the local area for sustainable energy schemes, to help in reducing the initial cost of buying and installing your solar system.

It is also important to see some evidence of projects that have been done by any potential solar installation company that you're considering. To highlight the work they do on all types of properties, a proficient and professional solar installation company in Dumfries will have an in-depth portfolio of images.

The solar installation industry is serviced by a number of professional organisations, associations and trade bodies. These professional bodies are crucial for any individual or company in the green energy sector, providing training, technology advances and safety regulations to their registered members. When you're trying to find a contractor to do your solar panel installation in Dumfries, you should watch out for one that is associated with at least one of the following associations.

The Renewable Energy Association - The United Kingdom's premier trade body for the trade body industry is the Renewable Energy Association (REA). The REA uses its power to influence governmental policy for green energy sources, and provides training for more than 500 member companies as it strives for net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. The Renewable Energy Association (REA) is a non-profit enterprise and its members include: energy generators, installers, service providers, equipment manufacturers, fuel producers and project developers. These can be anything from sole traders up to massive multi-nationals.

MCS - Documentation from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is a necessity for all small scale green energy systems and their installation engineers to hold within the British Isles. The MCS provides recognition in the solar energy sector, and is a benchmark of top quality for any solar installation company, as well as all of its provided solar electricity generation equipment.

STA (Solar Trade Association) - Offers up to date technology training and solutions by working collectively with local authorities, industry and Government, along with leading figures in the green and solar energy industry. It is a well-respected organisation within the solar energy sector and its members range from vast multi-nationals to small household installers.

Solar Energy Pros and Cons

Spending less and being more cost-effective is something people in Dumfries always desire. Solar power is one of the growing trends but is it really worth the cost? You can find many purposes for solar energy, like central heating, electricity, cooking, and even for desalination. Although solar energy has been applauded as the perfect, green source of clean energy, it also has some disadvantages. The biggest advantage undoubtedly is that the energy source being created from the sun is clean and natural. Standard fuels don't need to be combined in order to produce the energy. Solar technology collectors and solar power panels are often the main devices used to harness the solar energy.

Standard heating systems like electric heating are more expensive than solar energy in the long run. If you don't have utility lines near you, that is another advantage that you can benefit from. Where power companies don't have any access to your home, solar power provides the perfect solution for electricity, heating your water, and even for cooking. Solar energy is a very good means for turning salt water into fresh water which you will be able to drink. This succeeds when the salt crystals remain at the bottom of a basin while the majority evaporates from the power of the solar energy. Another basin will certainly be ready to contain the drinking water after it condenses.

At this point, it seems like solar energy is the ideal system imaginable with nothing but positives, but to get the complete picture the negatives need to be revealed also. The biggest disadvantage is that you need a lot of solar panels so that you can utilize solar energy. Solar energy is cheap on paper, but these solar panels can be expensive in addition to the maintenance costs associated with them. Solar energy costs nothing but the tools required to harness that energy are not, and so it is important to see if you will actually save money in the long run versus losing money in the short term.

Sunshine can be temperamental and in case you reside somewhere that doesn't receive too much sun it can be a big drawback to solar energy collection. Areas where there is a lot of gloomy, rainy weather, the collection of solar energy will not be as effective. Having said that, you should decide if there is enough sunlight throughout the year to be beneficial enough to invest in. There's plenty of sun rays if you live in a desert, and you don't need to worry about this issue.

One more thing about the sun is that it only shines in the daytime, and for a lot of the year, the day isn't very long. That can end up creating a problem if you need hot water or electricity during the night. Because of that, you will need a back-up system, like your old power grid, or a battery system that stores the solar energy for later use.

Solar Inverters

A solar inverter is the gadget that enables you to use the DC electricity that's generated by your solar panels by converting it into AC. Your solar panel system's solar inverter changes the DC electricity produced by the panels into AC, allowing you to safely power your home and connect to the National Grid. In a nutshell, your solar energy is useless for powering your home without a solar inverter to ensure safety.

The efficiency of a solar panel system is determined by its weakest link, making a top-quality inverter a vital aspect of your panel setup. The inverter ensures that you get the maximum energy from your solar panels. Four sorts of solar inverters can be utilised with your solar panels, these include: string inverters, power optimisers, hybrid inverters and micro-inverters. You must engage a professional solar panel installer in order to determine the ideal solar inverter for your individual solar panel system.

How Many Solar Panels Does it Take to Run a House?

Energy consumption, location, panel efficiency, and available space are factors that impact the number of solar panels required to power a house, leading to variation. A rough estimate places the power generation of a typical residential solar panel system in the UK at approximately 3 to 5 kilowatts (kW). Approximately 5 kW of solar panels would be needed to meet those needs, based on an average daily electricity consumption of 20 kilowatt-hours (kWh). Wattage, efficiency, and various other factors play a role in determining the precise number of panels required. It is advisable to consult an experienced solar installer who can offer a more precise assessment, taking into account your specific requirements and conditions.

Solar Panel Cleaning Dumfries

I'd imagine that the last thing you'll be worried about when you are planning to install solar PV panels in Dumfries, is exactly how you're going to clean them. As having messy panels can negatively affect their efficiency, it is wise for you to consider how you can keep your solar panels clean from the get-go. While it will increase the cost of installation it's possible to purchase automatic cleaning systems for your solar PV panels, and it's generally best to have these fitted at the time that your solar panels are installed.

Whilst solar panels can be kept moderately clean by the natural action of rainwater, you should not rely on this exclusively. When viewed from ground level, they might appear to be clean, but over the months all solar panels will develop a thin covering of grime and grease that will definitely have a negative affect on their performance. If, like most property owners in Dumfries, you do not elect to fit an automatic cleaning system, you'll have to set out a routine cleaning timetable for keeping your solar panels cleaned. You could be in a position to carry this out yourself - there are a number of attachments available for power washers (such as Karcher). If this isn't possible you can use the professional services of a local solar panel cleaning company in Dumfries, or perhaps a window cleaner specialising in this sort of service.

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Solar Panels Near Dumfries

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Dumfries Solar Panel Tasks

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