Starting with your journey to zero carbon emissions is something we all need to do, but sometimes the jargon and pushy salespeople make it hard to see the wood from the trees.
Here is how to look at things simply.
Every house in the United Kingdom has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) this process by registered independent EPC surveyors shows how your home uses electricity or other utility. If your house is poorly insulated and you have no energy-saving devices your utility bills will be high or you will be cold in the winter as you are scared to switch the heating system on. You can view yours at www.gov.uk/find-energy-certificate
Solar panels are the simple answer.
A typical small solar panel system of 10 panels will can generate 4.4kW of electricity.
What does that mean in real terms?
A south-facing roof with a pitch angle between 37° to 42° has an irradiance figure derived by the UK’s Building Research Establishment (BRE). That figure for the Norwich area is 962.
If your roof is truly south-facing and between the calculation for your generation is
Peak output of your PV solar system = 4.4 kW
X the irradiance figure of 962 = 4332.8 kWh / year
You are paying the typical cost of 30p per Kilowatt (kW) for your electricity.
By generating 4332.8 kWh / year x 30p (cost) you would save in the region of £1299 per year if you used 100% of what you generated.
Clearly, you will not use everything you generate, so you enroll in the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme via your electricity supplier, and everything spare is exported to the national grid you get paid, the normal payment is 15p per Kilowatt hour exported.
A fully installed and commissioned 4.4 KW PV system costs just £4000 from PES Renewables Ltd, (this has no battery storage).
“Simple maths” if you generate 4332 kWh/y and use all of the electricity at home that is £1299 of savings per year.
Your investment return is under 4 years and the Solar panels are warranted for 30 years on emitter performance and 20 manufacturers warranty.
So, how does the EPC come into the equation I hear you ask?
Basically, for every 4 kW of PV solar panels your EPC band goes up by one band, and EPC adds value to your house, If it’s an “A” band it’s cheap to run, a “G” band you are in trouble.
You could add a battery storage unit and these start at about £5000 for anything half decent.