About Solar and how it works

Solar energy is the conversion of sunlight into electricity using photovoltaic (PV) panels. These panels are typically made of silicon cells that absorb sunlight and convert it into direct current (DC) electricity.

1. How Solar Panels Work:

   Solar panels work by absorbing sunlight through photovoltaic cells, which create an electric field that generates direct current (DC) electricity.

   Then you instal an inverter to convert DC electricity produced by solar panels into usable alternating current (AC) electricity for homes or businesses. This is where you can also incoperate a battery to store energy you might produce during the day but not use it. You can then use at times when you need it.

2. Types of Solar Panels:

   There are different types of solar panels available, such as monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film panels. The most popular for homes is the Monocrystaline as they are the highest efficiency panel and therefore for limited space on your roof these are the best bet. Also with a 25-30 year lifespan they are going to be saving you money for a long time. Polycrystalline solar panels are better for your budget So on a large scale installation where space os not an issue these are normally more suitable. Thin Film Panels are more for special circumstances where normal installations are not really possible and they can be adapted to different shapes. They do not produce as much energy so are only really used wher absolutely necessary.

3. Batteries:

   As technology improves especailly in the battery industry, it makes Solar a much more attractive package. Adding a battery to your Solar system is a huge improvemnt from 5 yeasrs ago. You can include a battery that will store up the energy you produce during the day and then get to use it at night when you need it most and are not generating anything. There are so many benefits from addiing a battery to your system. Without a battery if you do not use the power you generate you can sell it back to the grid however you will be selling it at a much lower price than you will be paying later in the day when you need it back. So take more control over your power with a battery. The cost of batteries has also come down a lot in the last 5 years. A typical 3.4KWH battery installed will cost you around £2999.99. Also the size of them is so much more convinient the GivEnergy 3.4KWh battery is only 38Cm x 48Cm x 15Cm. These are a stackable battery and you can add more to it later as your requirements change. We will always look at the best system for your needs.

4. Benefits of Solar Energy:

   Which ever way you look at it there are 2 main benefits to solar and are very good and very simple 1st and foremost the environmental benefits of solar energy. We must start doing more to help our palnet recover. I thnk we all feel the same way to the point where we would be willing to pay more for a cleaner more renewable energy. Which brings me perfectly onto the 2nd benefit or you could say joint 1st place. Saving money on your mnonthly bills. Depending on your house/business size, the orientation of your roof and your energy usage you could make big monthly savings. Of course there is an inital outlay and again depending on the factors mentioned previously it is imposible to say how much you could save without a consultation with one of Solar experts. But the one sure thing is you will save and for many years to come.

5. Installation Process:

   The installation is very dependant on your home or business. Affordable Power only operate in the West London area (maybe a little outside contact us to find out if you are in our catchment area). The reason for this is we only use our team of people to instal. We do not just sell the lead onto another Soalr compnay in yoru area. For this reason we can only really work close enought to where we aer based. It is hard to dsay how long and what we would need to do as each installation is different. However a typical house installtion would be 2 to 3 days. Of course a lot of the work is done on the roof and then some in the ohuse bringin the power back to your main circuit. Affordable Power will discuss all the benfits of different types of solar with you and where best to put the techonolgy parts of it.

6. Maintenance and Durability:

   Another great thing about solar panels is how long they last. When was the last time you bought a product with a 25 year warranty. I a cannot remeber any product with a 25 year warranty. The first thing that is important about this is the length of time you will be saving money. There is a small loss of around 0.5% per year on each panel so after 20 years you should still be getting 90% of the originbal output. In regards to maintenance it is important to keeop them clean. It is common sense to think if you have dirt on a panel it will not be getting any sun on that spot. Other build up of dirt and debris on the panels. At Affordable Power we offer maintenace contracts and will be able to check your panels are still producing what they should be. This is another imprtant reason we only work in certian areas so we are able to offer a great service after intallation and for many years to come.

7. Financial Incentives:

   This has been covered already but as it is very important I put another point about it. So the average breakeven point for solar is 5-10 years, 7 being the most common. Again this depends on a lot of factors and will be discussed during the consultaion process. We will outline exactly how much you can save and how long it will take you to make your money back. This is a high yield investment. very brief example a £10,000 sytem saves you £125 per month on your energy bill break even point six an half years. Now if we go with just the warranty life span of the panels over the 25 year period you will make an average saving of £37,500 giving you a return on your investment of £27,500. That is pretty good. now of course you may move before you are able to see the big benefits after the first 6 years.

8. Integration with Smart Home Systems:

   Solar energy systems can be integrated with smart home technologies for better energy management and efficiency. The solar system comes with an App to see how much you are generating from your Solar panels and how you are using it. It is impoartant to make sure you are getting the most of it becuase if you do not use it properly you loose it. We have seen so many installations done in past years in a way that the customer is not really getitng the most out of it. At Affordable Power we are on the journey with you and are here to make you the most of your system. We are able to help you understand the technology, make sure it is all working 100%. This is not just after we instal it but we will come back during the first year to check everything is working as it should be. After the 1st year this service is included in our maitenacne packages which can be discussed at anytime. We love our customers and believe in suporting them on the renewable journey. Always looking for new technolgies and renewable energy to save you money.

9. The Future of Renewable Energy

   As technology gets better and better Affordable Power are always on the cusp of new techology to help the enviroment and save money. So as an Affordable Power customer you will be part of this journey to. We are currently looking at the best wind turbine options for houses and business. These will be possible to integratre into most systems you already have in place. The Future is looking more and more green and more and more benfiting the consumer. As technology has improved so much and demand has gone up so much the price has therefore dropped. The first solar panel was used in 1956 for a satelite at a cost of £1500 per watt (in todays money taking into consideraiton inflation) so if you imagine the standard 415W pannel we install would cost you £619,180 well over half a million pounds.

Contact us for further information or to book a consultaion. We are ready to save the planet and your bank balance are you ???? info@affordablepower.co.uk