We’re evangelical about solar panels
The unabated popularity of solar panels will grow alongside our enthusiasm. Currently, for every barrel of oil we discover, we now consume three!
At some point, global oil production will start to fail – FOREVER!
Solar technology is freedom from external forces that drive-up energy costs. Freedom always comes at a cost.
In this case, it’s the cost of a PV system with battery storage.
The cost of PV solar panels has been falling recently due to increased manufacturing capabilities. This is fantastic news for astute homeowners.
However, the price of freedom may rise for late adopters. The rare Earth metals required to mass-produce such systems become scarcer.
A similar problem that’ll arise for battery storage and electric vehicle manufacturers. We’re steadily working ourselves towards peak output with consequences for costs later down the timeline.
As humans, we’re lucky enough to conceive the past present, and future. Five years into the future is within the capabilities of most humans, looking further ahead is guesswork.
Savvy and astute people can calculate outcomes from scientific data and a smidgen of common sense.
That’s why the energy-savvy adopt solar panels.
The world’s economic engines will feel a misfire soon if they continue to hard press the accelerator. Freedom from those rising costs of powering homes is what drives us.
It could be just a matter of time when you’ll install it? I’m evangelical about solar panels for many reasons, the best is their longevity.
Thirty years ago, we were basking in the golden age of cheap energy, now a long distant memory. My father’s Triumph Stag is nothing but a misty memory. Few technologies last the test of time, but PV solar panels do.
Amazingly, thirty years from now, when your current car is a blip on your memory, today’s new system will still be benefiting your family. The solar panels attached to the 1960s satellites are still working today.
PV solar technology’s legacy will come from its longevity.
Suddenly, paying tens of thousands of pounds for a car to last 100,000 miles seems like madness, when compared to investing in a PV system. A last line of defense for many, as an inevitable energy crunch begins to bite.
Many don’t yet know it, but solar panels are going to be essential, and that’s why we’re enthusiastic.
I spotted a beluga plane landing and although an engineering marvel, it is only more refined 1940’s technology. This bloated and overweight technology seemed a good symbol of our modern times.
We are very impressed with the detailed knowledge and ability to explain the feed-in tariff arrangements when your local representative called to discuss. A quotation was provided after looking at the various options and a system that provided the best value for money both in terms of installation cost and also return on investment value.
The installation went entirely smoothly and was accomplished in six hours – not bad for the maximum size home system and before the contractors left they had already earned 42.8p!!
All the necessary paperwork was provided to enable us to call our current electricity suppliers British Gas and two telephone calls and we had our system linked in to the National Grid within 48 hours.
Firstly congratulations on executing on a flawless installation. The up front consultative selling was friendly, thorough and informative, and after I took the big step of saying I will part with my money, I’m delighted and relieved to say that the survey and installation proceeded precisely to plan.
The installation team arrived roughly 30 minutes early and worked non-stop until the installation was up and running at 4pm, just in time for me to see the newly installed solar power meter display the first few watts of the sun’s pure energy captured before the sun sank into the West for the night.
The panels look neat on my roof, there was no mess left to tidy up, and the new cable run from my roof was neatly done through my loft and then down the side of a gable soffit and into my meter cupboard.
All well and good so far, but how has the system performed during its first week in winter?
It’s rained most of the time, the sky has varied from grey to light grey with only sporadic and intermittent bursts of what you might call winter sunshine. So far, so good, based on figures gleaned from staring at the meter during the last week.
The panels start generating not long after it gets light irrespective of whether it’s sunny (e.g. 30-100 watts at 8:15am) until the sky is reasonably light. On a really horrible, rainy dark day with black sky the numbers stay within this range.
On a brighter grey white cloud (and it is only February), the system generates numbers in the range of 100-1000 watts depending of the exact hue of the sky and thickness of cloud cover.
The sun with lighter wispy clouds results in 2,000-2,700 watts and when the sun burst through a blue patch of sky then the system generated up to 3,500 watts, which is far better than I anticipated given the sun is so low in the sky in February. All figures are better in the afternoon rather than the morning due to the array facing South West.
During the seven days so far, 27 kWh has been generated, which given the weather has been abysmal, is not unreasonable. I believe from my own readings that a single sunny day in February will result in something like 12-15 kWh of energy generated and I am now looking forward to the longer brighter days later in the year.
I believe therefore, I’m on track for the 160 kWh this month that was projected for my installation as part of the overall cost justification.
I have contacted my energy supplier and completed their forms which they promptly sent me to register my panels and start receiving the feed-in tariff reward. So far, everything is progressing just as was originally explained to me.
In summary, and in today’s world laden with potential frustrations, dangers and disappointments, my project has been a very pleasant experience so far, and I’m now looking forward to the financial rewards in the knowledge that along with other panel adopters, it can also hopefully make a positive difference to the environment and my pocket.
Mankind has always been inclined to exploit all the good gifts the good lord provided in the creation of our world, the minerals, plants, animals and marine life.We always seem incapable of seeing when our exploitation is going to cause deep problems for future generations, so our seas are becoming polluted, coal once our saviour which provided the kick start to the industrial revolution, now seen to be a great polluter of the atmosphere, rain forests which are the source of our wonderful medicines and the lungs of the planet providing life giving oxygen, but are now stupidly and mindlessly cut down to provide for greed and short sighted gains.
All we can do as individuals is to recycle, reduce our energy and consumption levels and live with the planet as a friendly companion.
Investing in solar panels seemed a wiser move than keeping money in fairly unproductive stocks and shares.
Thank you for providing the means to use my modest resources for helping the move towards a less energy hungry and polluting future.
I wish to put on record how pleased I am with my photovoltaic solar panels installation, the manner in which it was sold to me erected and is now functioning.
The system has only been in a week, and the novelty of nipping into the garage, to see how much electricity, has been generated, in different weather conditions, has yet to wear off. With a full week of operation now approaching, it is on target, to reach in excess of 55 kWh. Not bad for a week with three days of rainy conditions.
Of course, it is far too early to make projections, but I am certainly well reassured that what is a serious long-term investment, will go on to provide an economic return substantially pay for my domestic energy requirements for the next 25 years, and along with my cycling, contribute to reducing my carbon footprint! I live in a small close with long standing neighbours that I care about. Everyone has commented favorably on our panel installations and its neat and tidy appearance.
During the whole process, you were polite and friendly, professional, efficient and effective. Your whole organisation came across as a caring one. I would not hesitate to recommend you to friends and family.
As a newcomer to this technology, I have learn’t so much in such a short length of time. My panel configuration and elelectrical circuitry went without a hitch in accordance to the pre-site survey.
Now two weeks into my solar panels being operational, judging by the power generated so far, it looks like it will comfortably live up to the forecasts.
I will certainly recommend this technology should any of my friends and colleagues wish to pursue this technology as I have done.
My new solar energy system is great!
Not only can I use my own power for many things during the day, so my bills are reduced if I’m careful when I use many of my appliances, so I use almost nothing from the grid. and I get paid for every kWh I produce (3.7 kWh) even when washing my socks.
Financially this has been a brilliant move, but also I feel like I’m making my own contribution to help reduce the use of fossil fuels.
I know there are other things I can do as time goes on to both improve financial gain such as using my own electricity to heat my water when there’s plenty generated, so as use use less oil.
I was lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the feed-in tariff scheme and had a large system, I have produced electricity even on the dullest days.
It seems that just now, this is the best investment I could have made and I am very satisfied with my purchase. I shall recommend to anyone who is thinking of have a PV installation fitted.
My new solar energy system is great!
Not only can I use my own power for many things during the day, so my bills are reduced if I’m careful when I use many of my appliances, so I use almost nothing from the grid. and I get paid for every kWh I produce (3.7 kWh) even when washing my socks.
Financially this has been a brilliant move, but also I feel like I’m making my own contribution to help reduce the use of fossil fuels.
I know there are other things I can do as time goes on to both improve financial gain such as using my own electricity to heat my water when there’s plenty generated, so as use use less oil.
I was lucky enough to be able to take advantage of the feed-in tariff scheme and had a large system, I have produced electricity even on the dullest days.
It seems that just now, this is the best investment I could have made and I am very satisfied with my purchase. I shall recommend to anyone who is thinking of have a PV installation fitted.
A month ago we had 22 panels fitted to our south facing roof, and we have been lucky so far to have had plenty of sunshine in the south east. It is interesting to consult the portable meter and check the production figures.
We have already in response changed the timing of several domestic appliances such as the dishwasher to run off the free electricity. This is very satisfying with rising electricity prices.
Altogether we are pleased with the investment we have made, and look forward to seeing how the returns pan out. With the stock market so shaky at present, I cannot see that we can lose.