There are many reasons to install solar photovoltaic electricity, from reducing your carbon footprint as well as your annual electricity bills, to minimising the impact of ever increasing energy costs and generating a tax free income for the next 20 years. What’s more, Solar PV panels and systems are easy to fit, guaranteed to last and require minimal maintenance.
Read on to find out more about the main benefits of solar PV and reasons why it is an excellent renewable energy choice.
Solar photovoltaic systems are environmentally friendly, using sunlight to produce zero carbon electricity. What’s more, solar PV electricity systems don’t release any harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) or other pollutants and the majority of Solar PV panels are made using silicon which comes from sand, one of the most earths’ most plentiful natural resources.
Depending on your site and system it is likely that you could generate up to half of your annual electrical needs from renewable energy, saving between 700kg and 1 tonne of CO2 per year (typical 2kWp system).
The electricity generated by your system is completely free for you to use. A typical PV system produces around 50% of the electricity a household uses in a year, so your energy costs will be greatly reduced.
Any electricity that you use will be totally free when your system is generating power– you will only need to pay for any electricity that you use when the panels are not producing electric, for example in the evenings and at night. Alternatively, if you would like to become carbon neutral or if you aren’t connected to the national grid, you can choose to store excess electricity in batteries for use when you need it.
Thanks to the government backed feed-in tariff, if you invest in solar PV you will receive a guaranteed, inflation linked tax free income for the next 20 years. This incentive, designed to encourage homeowners to invest in renewal energy, pays a set price for every kWh of energy that your system produces, regardless of whether you use the electricity yourself or not.
In addition to this, you are also entitled to an additional payment for every kWh of electricity that you do not use and supply back into the national grid. Click here for more information on the feed-in tariff.
An average system generates a return on investment in the region of 10%, taking approximate 10 years to pay off your initial outlay. After this, every penny that you earn from the feed in tariff is pure profit. What’s more, if inflation rises and the price of electricity increases your return on investment will improve even further.
It’s no secret that the price of energy has risen steeply in recent years and with the diminishing supply of natural fossil fuels and growing demand worldwide, this trend is only set to continue. Installing a solar PV system will reduce your dependency on grid supplied electricity and the large commercial energy companies, whilst minimising the impact of rising energy prices in the years to come.
Solar PV is a tried and tested technology that was being used on satellites over fifty years ago. Since the 1990’s, with improvements in technology and lower prices, its popularity has seen massive growth.
With a proven track record, solar PV systems are very reliable and require little maintenance as they have no moving parts. Most panels are guaranteed by the manufacturers with a cell warranty of 20-25 years and this, coupled with the long expected lifetime of the overall solar PV system, means that your installation is very likely to be providing you with free energy for at least 25 years.
If you would like to find out how solar PV could work for you give us a call, email us or fill in our enquiry form to arrange a free on site assessment. We promise to give you honest advice on the suitability of solar pv for you and will design the optimum system to meet your requirements.
Unit 2 | Mendip Vale Trading Estate | Cheddar | Somerset | BS27 3EL | 01458 251900
Contact the EWS installation team.
