How Solar Works

Solar energy is clean, non-polluting energy that produces no carbon emissions. The climate-change debate has taken centre stage and can no longer be ignored. By choosing one of our solar power systems is about your family doing their bit (a rather massively significant bit as it happens!) to stop the devastating effects on our climate that we hear about every day.

Solar Thermal

Solar hot water or solar thermal are the two terms used to describe a solar system that uses the sun’s energy to heat water. This hot water is then simply pumped to your cylinder and used in the normal way. In the UK, a typical solar thermal system can supply up to 70% of a household’s hot water requirement.

A solar panel mounted on the roof concentrates the sun’s energy throughout the day and efficiently uses that energy to heat water which is pumped into your cylinder. In the brighter summer months, enough heat can be generated to supply the vast majority of the hot water your family will need. In the darker winter months, although the system is still able to generate some heat, it really functions as a way of pre-heating the water in your cylinder so that you don’t have to use quite as much gas or electricity to bring that water up to the full temperature you normally operate at.

A typical solar thermal system looks something like this:

One of the misconceptions we come across is that people assume solar technology only works in hot countries. After all, we all moan about typical English summers don’t we? The fact is, solar technology works extremely well in the UK and is not dependant on “heat” so much as “daylight”.

Solar PhotoVoltaic (PV)

Right now a solar PV system could be generating free electricity on your roof and earning you a handsome, tax free, government guaranteed income typically worth between £800- to £1000- per year for a standard 3 bedroom home.

How do photovoltaic (PV) cells work?

PV cells are panels you can attach to your roof or walls. Each cell is made from one or two layers of semiconducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced.
The strength of a PV cell is measured in kilowatt peak (kWp). That's the amount of energy the cell generates in full sunlight.

Finally, you can earn real money from clean and free solar energy!

"A return of up to 10% - better than any bank can provide"

- Ed Miliband, Former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change

"Buying a solar panel is now the best investment a householder can make. The tariffs will deliver a return of between 5-8% a year, which is both index-linked (making a nominal return of 7-10%) and tax free. The payback is guaranteed for 25 years. If you own a house and can afford the investment, you'd be crazy not to cash in."

- George Smith

Why Solar?