Solar pv. Free systems and paid systems.
Free Solar Systems
What is Solar PV?
Solar PV involves mounting solar panels made of photovoltaic (PV) cells onto the roof or walls of your property, which capture the sun’s rays and convert them into electricity.
How can we do it at no charge?
The big question on most peoples mind is how can we offer it for free, there must be a catch!
First of all we don’t give you the panels, we simply install them on your roof under a lease arrangement at no cost to your ever. The government initiated a scheme called the feed in tariff (fit) in April 2010, you can get more information on this at www.decc.gov.uk, the FIT will be paid to our investors on all electricity generated by the system, you get the benefit of the free electricity which you can use. Over the long term the FIT will pay for the installation, our investors are comfortable with this as it is a government backed incentive. We are not the only company offering this for free, A shade Greener have been very successful with this in Yorkshire.
What is the Feed-in-Tariff(FIT)?
The Feed-in Tariff Scheme (FIT) was introduced by the Government in April 2010 to encourage the installation of solar panels. The FIT Scheme makes the investment in PV attractive. It consists of 2 parts:
The Export Tariff, which is a payment you earn for any electricity you don't use and then export back to the national grid.
Secondly there's the Generation Tariff. This is an additional amount your electricity company pays you for very unit of electricity your solar system generates for the next 25 years.
Additionally you will also benefit from savings on your electricity bill as you will be generating part of your electricity equipment requirements on-site, so will need to buy less electricity from your supplier. The Generation Tariff is set at 43.3p/kWh for retrofitted (i.e. to an existing property) Solar PV for systems no larger than 4kW. The Export Tariff (the amount you earn in addition to the Generation Tariff for any electricity not used and exported to the national grid) is fixed at 3p/kWh.
Solar PV involves mounting solar panels made of photovoltaic (PV) cells onto the roof or walls of your property, which capture the sun’s rays and convert them into electricity.
How can we do it at no charge?
The big question on most peoples mind is how can we offer it for free, there must be a catch!
First of all we don’t give you the panels, we simply install them on your roof under a lease arrangement at no cost to your ever. The government initiated a scheme called the feed in tariff (fit) in April 2010, you can get more information on this at www.decc.gov.uk, the FIT will be paid to our investors on all electricity generated by the system, you get the benefit of the free electricity which you can use. Over the long term the FIT will pay for the installation, our investors are comfortable with this as it is a government backed incentive. We are not the only company offering this for free, A shade Greener have been very successful with this in Yorkshire.
What is the Feed-in-Tariff(FIT)?
The Feed-in Tariff Scheme (FIT) was introduced by the Government in April 2010 to encourage the installation of solar panels. The FIT Scheme makes the investment in PV attractive. It consists of 2 parts:
The Export Tariff, which is a payment you earn for any electricity you don't use and then export back to the national grid.
Secondly there's the Generation Tariff. This is an additional amount your electricity company pays you for very unit of electricity your solar system generates for the next 25 years.
Additionally you will also benefit from savings on your electricity bill as you will be generating part of your electricity equipment requirements on-site, so will need to buy less electricity from your supplier. The Generation Tariff is set at 43.3p/kWh for retrofitted (i.e. to an existing property) Solar PV for systems no larger than 4kW. The Export Tariff (the amount you earn in addition to the Generation Tariff for any electricity not used and exported to the national grid) is fixed at 3p/kWh.
A typical install.
FAQS
- How does solar PV work?
- Solar panels are made of silicon cells – commonly known as photovoltaic (PV) cells – held between a sheet of glass and a backing sheet. Each cell is made from layers of semiconducting material that generate an electric field when in contact with sunlight. An inverter then converts this into the equivalent of mains electricity that you use in your home.
- Does it matter which direction my property faces?
- A roof facing between southeast and southwest is ideal. It can be flat or sloping, although flat roofs may require planning permission. The panel needs to be affixed in an area that is as shade-free as possible, so out of the shadow of trees or nearby buildings.
- Do solar PV sytems need planning permission?
- We recommend checking with your local planning office to make sure. Panels fitted within 200mm of t he roof (i.e. on a sloping roof) do not generally require planning permission. If the house is listed or in a conservation area you will need to seek advice.
- How do I know what size system I need?
- Solar PV systems are measured in kilowatt peak (kWp), which is the combined capacity of all the individual modules that make up the system. All modules are rated based on what is known as standard test conditions (STC) so that they can be compared. The number and capacity of the modules you require will depend on, among other factors, the size of your roof, the amount of sunlight you receive and how much electricity you require. The Osiris Group will work with you to determine your optimum system based on your roof conditions and budget.
- Will the system supply all of my electricity?
- A typical solar PV system will supply approximately 30-40% of your electricity, with the remainder coming from the national grid via your utility provider as normal. The integration between the two is automatic and requires no action on your part. Excess electricity is fed back to the grid, and your utility provider will pay you 0.03p per kWh.
- Does the system work during the winter? During the summer the system will produce far more electricity, and you are likely to use some 50% of what you produce.
- What happens if the system generates more electricity than I need? If the system generates more electricity than you need to power your home, the excess is automatically exported to the national grid, in other words, sold to your electricity supplier.
- How much money will I save on my electricity bills?
- You can expect to reduce your electricity bills by about 50% by carefully managing your use of it, for example, use dishwashers, washing machines, tumble driers during the day, if you are out you fit a plug in timer so they will come out during the day.
- Am I eligible for feed-in tariffs (FITs)?
- For a free instalation, this gets assigned to the investor, if you pay for it the following applies; In order to qualify for FITs you need to install equipment that has been approved under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). The installer also has to have MCS certification, and will give you a certificate affirming that you are eligible for the payments. Our installers were one of the first London-based installers to achieve certification as an MCS installer, and we work with a range of MCS-certified systems so we can select one that best meets your requirements.
- How do feed-in tariffs (FITs) work?
- The feed-in tariff has two parts – the generation tariff and the export tariff. The first part is a payment for the electricity that you generate and use yourself, rather than sourcing from the national grid. The second part is a payment for excess electricity you generate yourself that is ‘exported’ back to the national grid. FITs are generally paid quarterly by your energy supplier. The tariff lasts for 25 years and is index-linked, meaning that the payments will rise with inflation.
- What is MCS certification?
- The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) is an internationally-recognised accreditation designed to give consumers protection when buying microgeneration technologies. The scheme provides accreditation to installers and equipment that have met rigorous quality, customer care and technical standards. Only on MCS-certified technologies installed by an MCS-certified installer are eligible for feed-in tariff payments.
- By how much will I reduce my carbon footprint?
- Because it is powered by the sun, solar PV is much more environmentally friendly than using electricity from the national grid. Solar PV will save between one and four tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, depending on the size of the system.
- What happens during a power cut?
- In the event of a power cut the solar PV system automatically switches off as per guidelines set out by the regulator. It will automatically come online again once electricity is restored, although regulations require a three minute delay.
- Does the system require much maintenance?
- Generally speaking they are maintenance free.
- What is the guarantee/warranty on the system?
- We do not use just one panel manufacturer & therefore this varies, the minimum warranty of panels we install will be 5 years manufacturer plus a 25 year performance guarantee.
- By how much will I reduce my carbon footprint?
- A system of 3.3KWp will produce about 2800KW of electricity over 12 months, with the average house using 3,300KW in a year you can see that this will make a considerable difference to your Carbon footprint.
- Will it affect the value of my home?
- Yes it will certainly increase in value, imagine 2 identical homes for sale, one with reduced electricity bills & the benefit of the FIT, now ask yourself if I was buying one would the one with solar panels be worth more?
- How do I qualify for Free solar?
- You have to be the home owner or have permission granted by the landlord, have to have roof that is south or with 30 degrees of south, & be about 24 square meters in size.
- Will I need to change electricity supplier?
- No you can remain with your existing supplier & change if you wish.
- Will I need to read a generation meter?
- No, we will fit a system that can be read remotely.
- Do I need to check anything?
- We monitor the system remotely; if it fails we will aim to fix the problem within 48 hours.
- Is the system automatic?
- Yes the system starts in the morning as the light increase; you do not have to do anything. It will provide electricity all the time there is sufficient light; if you don’t use it yourself it is fed back to the grid.
- Will we ever have to pay for anything?
- No absolutely none, the system will be completely free during the 25 year term. We will look after any maintenance issues, insurance etc.
- I still don't get it , do you have an example?
- As an example a 3.4KW installation would require an investment of approximately £11,500 ( 18 solar panels- size 1m x1.3m) and , will produce 2540.86 KW of energy a year. This would attract a yearly sum of £1, 100.19 Generation Tariff (43.3p/kWh) . Our investors would fund the installation with absolutely no cost to you and benefit from a 9-10% return on their capital.
You would benefit from the electricity that the panels generate and the export tariff. By carefully managing how you use electric, i.e. using washing machines, dish washers etc during the day when the system is producing you can reduce their electricity bills by 40-60%, offering a great saving.
