Solar Power: Renewable Energy for your Household

GreenEnergy360: The Sun is an abundant free energy source – even in the cloudy UK!

Solar panels positioned to face the Sun.
The low winter Sun means lower energy
yields than in summer.

Using the Sun’s free energy, you can use solar technologies to generate hot water or electricity.

A solar thermal system could provide around 60% of your annual hot water needs. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels generate power to contribute towards your electricity needs.

Typically, you’ll need between 3m2 and 6m2 of solar panels for a solar thermal system. For PV, the area required is typically 10m2. Ideally, your panels should face in a southerly direction, tilted to an angle of around 45°. Most UK pitched roof angles are fine. West or East-facing panels will gather about 20% less energy over the year.

Solar power is already used widely in homes across the UK:

  • Around 100,000 homes already generate the majority of their hot water needs using solar thermal systems
  • A smaller number of homes generate on average about 30% of their annual electricity needs using solar PV

Key factors in choosing Solar

There are a few things that you should consider with relation to solar energies:

  • Do you have enough unshaded roof area on your property to install the panels required?
  • If considering solar thermal, do you have enough space inside for a hot water storage tank?
  • What’s your budget? A typical solar thermal system costs between £3,000 and £5,500
  • A solar PV system typically costs £7,000 to £12,000.

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