2. How can solar panels work in the UK ?

The UK receives 60% of the solar energy compared with the equator. Each square metre of the UK receives between 900 – 1200kwh of solar radiation each year.

3. Why quality matters?

Sadly, we get contacted by people who installed cheap solar technology and now require expensive repairs after a short time in use. A good quality system should last 30+ years and cost around £3-4000. As independent solar experts, we say this either Schuco flat panels or Sun Systems solar tubes

4. Why solar, not wind ?

Wind is great on larger scale installations or on coastal areas or wind swept hills, but your average urban location means performance and efficiency is low. You need a very large turbine to make a sizeable dent in the average domestic energy bill, and has been confirmed by government testing. Urban locations do not have the correct wind speeds and vibration problems could lead to structural building damage.

"The likely output of a micro-wind turbine on a pitched roof house in a large city such as Manchester would be less than 150kWh a year; 2% of the energy consumption of an average house"

5. Is there enough sunshine in the UK for solar energy ?

Compared to the equator, the UK receives approximately 55% of the energy received there, ample to operate an efficient solar panel system if you have a south facing roof, even in the north of Scotland.

Just updating your hot water tank to our high efficiency tanks without the solar panels, will save you money and energy. With the solar panels your hot water bills will be reduced by dramatically.

"5 years from now, the UK will import 75% of it's gas"

6. What is the science behind solar panel technology ?

In a nutshell when solar radiation/solar energy enters the earth's atmosphere, it does so as a short-wave. When these short-waves hit something, be it a person, building or solar panels, then the short wave converts to long-wave. This process expels energy and this energy produces heat.

7. Can solar panels can add value to my property ?

Yes, your homes value will increase in todays climate of high energy pricing.

A recent survey by MORI found people are willing to pay up to £10,000 more for a home built to high environmental standards and estate agents are now de-valuing homes for sale with poor 'Energy Assessments' results, due to HIPS reports.

8. How long does solar technology last ?

Solar technology has been around for a century now, but evacuated tubes have a longevity of around 30+ years. PV solar last much longer, but PV solar panels installed in the 60's is still working.

9. Will solar panels replace my energy bills fully ?

No, you will not be able to totally replace your current energy or power supply to the use of solar energy, but you could get close with a realistic budget and the implementation of different energy sources such as a bio mass and solar panel combination.

10. There are two types of solar panel, which is best ?

Both do very different jobs with different pricing, (hot water heating) evacuated tubes solar panels and PV systems solar panels (electric generating).

This varies per domestic household, but it basically depends on which type of energy cost you want to reduce. A solar panels system is basically an investment into your home and energy future.

11. Do I need planning permission ?

No. From 6 April 2008 planning permission will not be required for solar panels, unless you live in a listed building.

12. Why choose Solar4u?

As independent solar experts, we are not contracted to sell any one particular technology (think freehouse) unlike other installers who are contracted to a specific technology. Thus we only sell the best performing and qulaity systems available today, so we can uniquely offer our 'no quibble guarantee on quality'.

13. Solar installations will get cheaper with time, won't they?

Unfortunately the indicators are that price's will rise. Energy prices, the weak British pound and overhead rises, have mean't prices have been rising year on year, throughout the industry. Although we do our best to keep prices reasonable, their are customers we spoke to 2 years ago who wished they had bought then, for cheaper.

Hot water solar panels

Which is best for me, solar tubes or flat panels ?

Like everything in life, the answer to this question is never simple, but simply put, if you have a gravity-feed hot water tank, and you wish to keep your existing set up, then Apricus solar tubes are best for you.

If you prefer to update your whole heating system or hot water tank to a more modern system, then flat panels will be more suitable.

Some people prefer the aesthetics of Schuco flat panel solar, but solar tubes are more efficient. Saying that though, the Schuco flat panels are the best efficient of all the flat panels on the UK market today. With both systems being of excellent quality, this is the main reason we promote these two products over any other solar manufacturers.

Why install a new hot water tank ?

Imagine converting your car to LPG, then running it on semi-flat tyres. An old tank is very in-efficient and probably scaled up with limescale. In order to maximise the efficiency of your solar panel system, a modern super efficient tank is installed as part of the installation to bring your heating system up to modern efficiency standards. Ultimately saving you money in the long term.

We do not use much hot water, how can this help us ?

At the moment the water in your hot water tank has to stay above 60 deg C (to prevent legionaires), which means your current heating method is constantly firing up to stay above 60 deg C. If you use the hot water or not, your boiler or emmersion heater will still be keeping it heated up, so yes solar still benefits your heating bills

What solar panels CANNOT do ?

The biggest miss conception of solar is that it can do your central heating with salesmen miss-selling to take advantage of this! Your central heating although connected to your boiler is a very seperate system. Your hot water tank is not connected to your radiators in any way shape or form.

Also common sense dictates, when you need your central heating the most (winter), their is less/reduced daylight and when solar is most efficient (spring/summer/autumn) central heating is not required.

What solar panels CAN do ?

Solar keeps an abundent supply of hot water in your hot water tank, thus extending the life span of your boiler because for most of the year, your boiler will not be used at all.

From March - September, solar will do most of your water heating needs, and then half that in the winter.

Is my current set-up compatible with 'direct' solar tubes ?

1. If you have a traditional ‘gravity feed’ system, with a southerly facing roof space, then you home is ideal.
2. If you have a ‘vented’  thermal store with twin/solar coil, then your home is suitable too.
3. If you have a Combi Boiler, you will need to replace this at the end of it’s life for a condensing boiler with ‘vented’ tank.
4. If you have a ‘high pressure’ system with gauges, then you will need to replace this with a ‘vented’ tank.

How much conventional energy will it produce ?

Independently tested, our solar delivered 900 - 1400 kWh (3.6 GJ) of clean green energy (depending on geographical location) as solar hot water a year in UK. It saves far more bought-in energy. Peak output is 1.6 kW, similar to an immersion heater.

(Performance varies per domestic household, depending on your micro climate and geographical location, but on average, an evacuated tube system will supply all your hot water needs from March - September, and most, but not all, in the winter months)

What temperatures can I expect from a solar hot water ?

On sunny days possible temperatures of possibly up to 75C can be achieved (45C hot enough for bathing), but this is dependent on your micro climate and geographical position within the UK and solar panel system you choose. On cloudy days this will still reduce the need to use your boiler, thus extending your boiler life too.

Do I get hot water during the winter months ?

Even during cloudy days in winter you can expect some gain, on wintry sunny days, although evacuated tubes are designed to run alongside conventional heating methods.

Can solar panels be added to flat roofs ?

On an "A" frame to angle the panels at 20 and 50 degrees to horizontal.

Is there any ongoing maintenance needed ?

The system is kept clean by weathering, just like velux windows. A periodic check every 3-4 years is recommended to check the PH level of the antifreeze solution, but other than that you can simply fit it and forget it.

PV electric solar panels

Will PV solar produce all my electric needs ?

In most cases, no, but this depends on you energy consumption rate and size of system installed.

What does on-grid mean ?

When PV is producing electricity, and you are not using it, then it will automatically feed the electricity out to the National Grid, were your will be credited for your contribution.

How much energy can PV solar panels produce ?

Each case is different, but a PV system installation would generate approximately 750kWh/year per kWp installed. So a typical 2 kWp system would generate around 1500 kWh per year. A hot water solar panel at Peak output is 1.6 kW, similar to an immersion heater, or 1,500kWh and 2,000kWh annually.

Does PV have to be installed on our roof ?

No. PV can easily be installed on frames within your boundaries, or out buildings with suitable roofing.

How much roof space will I need ?

Please CLICK HERE, for panel installation dimensions.

Is there any ongoing maintenance needed ?

No, Just like velux windows, they are kept clean by weathering. Simply fit and forget.

General solar panels FAQ's

Green energy tariffs, good or bad ?

If you live near a coal fired power station then your electricity will be powered by coal, regardless of your decision to buy a green tariff. Many energy companies purporting to be green are not. An example is Npower, who operate the most coal fired generators, but still advertise with a 'green wash'.

We can only support 'Ecotricity' because it pledges to spend all its profits on building new sources of renewable energy.

Friends of the Earth commented ‘Most suppliers have simply established green tariffs and then proportioned in some arbitrary way renewable's to their green consumers. Their purchases ought to result in an additional pull on renewable's, but that’s not happening. We have been calling for an independent auditing of these schemes.’

Why don't you offer finance deals ?

As an ethical business, it would not be right for us, to put you into further debt for our products. Yes solar saves you energy, but the benefits would be taken away, if you start paying silly finance deals.

What about payback ?

We are often asked, “what is the payback period?” for a solar panels.

Well, first and foremost it does have a payback. If you buy coal, oil or electricity or gas the supplier does not offer you any pay back at all. No matter how much gas, oil or coal you buy and no matter how long you buy it for, you never get your money back. You have to service, maintain and renew you fuel burning equipment. Similarly the electricity company never offers you a payback

Various government bodies define sometimes payback as the annual fuel bill savings divided by the capital cost.  This is simply inaccurate misleading and wrong.

If you take a proper view of payback, you have to factor in future energy increases, take account of inflation, look at the savings in boiler servicing and the ability to make a boiler last longer. Doing the sums properly most thermal systems offer a pay back of between 6 and 15 years, depending on the fossil fuel displaced, the future fuel inflation factor you use and the amount of hot water you use.

If the product is built as part of the housing infrastructure it will last for around 30 years with minimal maintenance. If the product is built into a home in the course of construction the pay back period declines rapidly.

Although payback is one way of looking at the cost it is perhaps more accurate to look at the return on your investment that solar panels offer. Typically the financial savings of a good solar thermal system will be equivalent to a tax free return on investment of between 8% and 12%.

Recently HIPS reports have for the first time in history, allowed homes with renewable energy including solar panels, to be valued higher, than those without, so solar installations have now become a real financial investment opportunity, considering there longevity or and long life spans (25 - 30 years), against the higher UK energy pricing policies, and the ever increasing costs of peak oil.

"Our customers save *£1000 - £4000 on installations"
* Savings from installation costs. Energy savings not included.

The fight for human civilisation, is won! The challenge of keeping it, has just begun!