click on photo to enlarge
Choosing a Solar PV System
Solar PV systems are easy to install and need virtually no maintenance. They are suitable for use in urban areas which wind or hydro systems tend not to be.
Size of system will depend on which type of PV cell you choose, how good your site is, which part of the country you live in and how much electricity you want to generate.
As an example: a 1 kWp system will generate an average of 850kWh of power in the UK. Most domestic systems are between 1.5 and 3 kWp.
Ideally a Solar PV System for best performance should be south facing, be free of shading and angled at 30 - 40 degrees. All of the panels required would be installed on the south facing roof giving the best performance. There are PV systems that are suitable as an alternative to south facing roofs. These panels would be installed at the best position on the roofs deviding the panels for best performance.
There are 2 different types of solar PV panels that we use, Polycrystalline and Monocrystalline.
Crystalline silcon technology is the most commonly used in the UK and the most efficient at converting sunlight into electricity. It consists of thin slices of silicon cut from a single crystal (monocrystalline) or from a block of crystals (polycrystalline).
Monocrystalline performs most efficiently with modules typically converting 15% of solar radiation into electrical energy, and with the best products reaching 21.5%
Polycrystalline silcon converts between 8 and 12% of solar radiation into electricity.
