Home Contact About Us Thermal Photovoltaic (PV)Questions Answers
Main Menu Home Contact About Us Thermal Lincs Solar Certifications Photovoltaic (PV) Feed in Tariff PV photos About PV Solar Energy Service PV installation How Solar PV Works Factors To Consider Renewable energy Why Choose Solar PV Questions (PV) Questions Answers	Frequently Asked Questions For PV Installs How does a solar PV system work? Solar panels generate electricity using energy form the sun. Because the panels produce energy from daylight and not solar radiation they still produce energy on cloudy days. The direct current produced by the panels is converted by the inverter to alternating current for use in the building. The electricity produced is either consumed directly by appliances in the building, or if more power than required is generated it is exported to the grid. At night or when the system is not producing enough energy, power is supplied by the grid in the normal way. Do the PV panels need direct sunlight to work? Solar PV works from daylight and not direct sunlight, but more power is produced on a sunny day as opposed to an overcast or cloudy day. What are the effects of shade? Shading is critical. Minor shading can result in significant loss of energy because the cell with the lowest illumination determines the operating current of the series string in which it is connected. What happens at night? PV panels do not produce energy in the dark and so electricity is drawn from the grid in the normal way. What happens if there is a power cut? Our PV systems are entirely connected. If there is a power cut the system is automatically switched off as a safety measure, to ensure power does not leak onto the grid, in order to protect personnel working, to restore the power supply. There will be no power to the building during the power cut. Installation Do I need planning permission? PV roof systems come under permitted development rights and so do not require planning permission. However if your building is listed, or in an area of outstanding natural beauty, please consult your local council planning department for advice, before proceeding with an installation. Will I need to inform building control? Yes, you should tell them about your intentions and they will advise you if you need to take any further action. Our installer will instruct you to contact building control. Will my roof be strong enough? Most roofs are strong enough to support PV / Thermal panels without any reinforcement. Our installer will perform a site survey and make an assessment prior to installation. Do I need to inform my electricity supplier? For systems less than 4kW peak power you will need to inform them once the installation is complete. For larger systems, permission will need to be gained in advance from the network operator. How much roof space do I need? Our kits start at 1.38kW peak power and this occupies roughly 10 square metres of roof space. How long will the installation take? Our roofer will need to install the panels in place first. This is usually done in half a day. Completion of installation under normal circumstances can take up to 3 days, dependant on size and access. What are the optimal conditions for solar? Both PV and Thermal panels work best when installed at an angle of 30 - 40° on a south facing roof, with minimal shading. Panels can be installed at different angles on west or east facing roofs, but may not produce as much power as an equivalent system on a south roof at optimal angle. A site survey will determine the best option for your property. We can design to specific needs. Can I buy a system from Lincs Solar Ltd and install it myself? No, we do not supply. You are only eligible for the FIT by having a MCS accredited company install. We as a company can only use products that comply with MCS. The system would also not be covered by our warranty. Costs, benefits and the Feed in Tariff (FIT) How much does it cost? The total installed cost of a system will depend on the size of the system and ease of installation. It is not possible to give a precise figure without viewing the property in question. How much energy will it generate? There are five main factors that will affect how much energy can be generated: · Total size of the install · Latitude of the location · Direction the panels face · Angle the panels are mounted · Any shading What is the Feed in Tariff and how does it work? It is a financial incentive, backed by the Government for a PV system and paid by your energy supplier. Every kWh generated earns a fixed income and additionally, any electricity not consumed in the property can be sold back to the grid. For further information visit the Energy Saving Trust website www.energy savingtrust.org Will the system be eligible for the Feed in Tariff? Our PV systems are MCS certificated and installed by our MCS Accredited Installers, are eligible for the FIT. What is the payback period for a solar PV installation? We would expect that an average system would take roughly 10 – 12 years to pay for itself, after which it will make money for the householder, for the remainder of the FIT period of 25 years. This would be dependable and assessed by the SAP calculations, worked out at the time of having a survey of the property. These calculations are an assumption and are only used as a guide, usually having been under calculated, not having taken into account for price rises. For this reason the payback time could be reduced, dependable on these assumptions. Maintenance Do panels need cleaning? Usually dust and dirt washes off when it rains if the panels are installed at an angle of at least 15° In extreme cases, dirt may cause a power reduction of about 10%. How long do panels last? Our PV panels have a full warranty, expected lifetime of the panels up to 40 years, performance of 90% for 10 years and 80% for 20 years. If you haven’t found the answers you were looking for then please contact us, we will be happy to help. Contact information can be found under ‘contact us’ on the website.

Home Contact About Us Thermal Photovoltaic (PV)Questions Answers

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Frequently Asked Questions For PV Installs

How does a solar PV system work?
Solar panels generate electricity using energy form the sun. Because the panels produce energy from daylight and not solar radiation they still produce energy on cloudy days. The direct current produced by the panels is converted by the inverter to alternating current for use in the building. The electricity produced is either consumed directly by appliances in the building, or if more power than required is generated it is exported to the grid. At night or when the system is not producing enough energy, power is supplied by the grid in the normal way.

Do the PV panels need direct sunlight to work?

Solar PV works from daylight and not direct sunlight, but more power is produced on a sunny day as opposed to an overcast or cloudy day.

What are the effects of shade?

Shading is critical. Minor shading can result in significant loss of energy because the cell with the lowest illumination determines the operating current of the series string in which it is connected.

What happens at night?

PV panels do not produce energy in the dark and so electricity is drawn from the grid in the normal way.

What happens if there is a power cut?

Our PV systems are entirely connected. If there is a power cut the system is automatically switched off as a safety measure, to ensure power does not leak onto the grid, in order to protect personnel working, to restore the power supply. There will be no power to the building during the power cut.

Installation

Do I need planning permission?

PV roof systems come under permitted development rights and so do not require planning permission. However if your building is listed, or in an area of outstanding natural beauty, please consult your local council planning department for advice, before proceeding with an installation.

Will I need to inform building control?

Yes, you should tell them about your intentions and they will advise you if you need to take any further action. Our installer will instruct you to contact building control.

Will my roof be strong enough?

Most roofs are strong enough to support PV / Thermal panels without any reinforcement. Our installer will perform a site survey and make an assessment prior to installation.

Do I need to inform my electricity supplier?

For systems less than 4kW peak power you will need to inform them once the installation is complete. For larger systems, permission will need to be gained in advance from the network operator.

How much roof space do I need?

Our kits start at 1.38kW peak power and this occupies roughly 10 square metres of roof space.

How long will the installation take?

Our roofer will need to install the panels in place first. This is usually done in half a day. Completion of installation under normal circumstances can take up to 3 days, dependant on size and access.

What are the optimal conditions for solar?

Both PV and Thermal panels work best when installed at an angle of 30 - 40° on a south facing roof, with minimal shading. Panels can be installed at different angles on west or east facing roofs, but may not produce as much power as an equivalent system on a south roof at optimal angle. A site survey will determine the best option for your property. We can design to specific needs.

Can I buy a system from Lincs Solar Ltd and install it myself?

No, we do not supply. You are only eligible for the FIT by having a MCS accredited company install. We as a company can only use products that comply with MCS. The system would also not be covered by our warranty.

Costs, benefits and the Feed in Tariff (FIT)

How much does it cost?

The total installed cost of a system will depend on the size of the system and ease of installation. It is not possible to give a precise figure without viewing the property in question.

How much energy will it generate?

There are five main factors that will affect how much energy can be generated:

· Total size of the install

· Latitude of the location

· Direction the panels face

· Angle the panels are mounted

· Any shading

What is the Feed in Tariff and how does it work?

It is a financial incentive, backed by the Government for a PV system and paid by your energy supplier. Every kWh generated earns a fixed income and additionally, any electricity not consumed in the property can be sold back to the grid. For further information visit the Energy Saving Trust website www.energy savingtrust.org

Will the system be eligible for the Feed in Tariff?

Our PV systems are MCS certificated and installed by our MCS Accredited Installers, are eligible for the FIT.

What is the payback period for a solar PV installation?

We would expect that an average system would take roughly 10 – 12 years to pay for itself, after which it will make money for the householder, for the remainder of the FIT period of 25 years. This would be dependable and assessed by the SAP calculations, worked out at the time of having a survey of the property. These calculations are an assumption and are only used as a guide, usually having been under calculated, not having taken into account for price rises. For this reason the payback time could be reduced, dependable on these assumptions.

Maintenance

Do panels need cleaning?

Usually dust and dirt washes off when it rains if the panels are installed at an angle of at least 15° In extreme cases, dirt may cause a power reduction of about 10%.

How long do panels last?

Our PV panels have a full warranty, expected lifetime of the panels up to 40 years, performance of 90% for 10 years and 80% for 20 years.

If you haven’t found the answers you were looking for then please contact us, we will be happy to help. Contact information can be found under ‘contact us’ on the website.