Solar pv faq’s

Because its the cleanest form of power and the cheapest.

Done right, solar PV will be the smartest investment you make. It will make a massive difference to your energy bills, vastly reduce your household´s CO2 emissions, and it will be something you can be really feel proud about getting, knowing you are doing your bit for the planet and for future generations. Plus, it ultimately pays for itself and makes you better off for doing it. The real question is which installer do you choose?

Because we have the best installers, the strongest guarantees, and the lowest prices. Because we are an ethical company that you can always trust to deliver, and we genuinely give advice that is in your best interests rather than our own, because what matters most to us is that your solar PV system works optimally and effectively in order for you to get the best results possible.

Helps the environment by massively reducing household carbon-footprint, and makes it more likely future generations will have a healthy planet to live on. Solar PV saves you big money, and pays for itself.

There aren´t any.

Very positively. Solar panels can increase the value of your home as they make your house more energy-efficient, and therefore more attractive to potential buyers, as the new owner can enjoy the same benefits of reduced electricity bills. Each property is legally required to have an Energy Performance Certificate, rating the property and pointing out the possible room for improvement. The better the property´s rating, the greater its value, as prospective buyers understand that the building will cost less to run, and that theres less to spend on modernizing it and improving its energy-efficiency, because thats already been done., From time to time we hear someone tell us that solar doesn’t add any value to your house. This is rubbish, equivalent to saying that it makes no difference to a purchase price if a property is utterly derelict or has recently been totally refurbished. If one of our systems is installed in your home, any prospective buyer would obviously know that the electricity bills for the property will, in all likelihood, scarcely exceed the standing charge, and that they would potentially be a thousand pounds or more better off each year living there than in an identical house without solar. If a state of the art system saving hundreds or even thousands of pounds a year doesn’t get capitalized into a property´s value, then there is not a functional housing market.

With us, typically less than 10 years. However there are plenty of firms that charge double (or even more than double) what we do, and obviously in such cases the payback needs to be adjusted accordingly.

No, although south-facing is optimal. East/west can still produce roughly 80-85% of power that a south-facing array would produce. You will still, emphatically, be better off installing PV on an east/west oriented roof that missing out in the free energy altogether.

Absolutely -see the video about the Renusol system on our informational videos page.

In most cases, the answer is ´no´, they come under permitted development, although there are 1or 2 exceptions. People living in listed buildings, and homes within a conservation area, should check first with their local planning authorities, before ordering.

Not really. There are no moving parts, and therefore nothing much to break down or go wrong. The panels need to be clean to work, but the slope of the roof they are attached to, usually means that the natural action of the rain, plus gravity, means that in most instances there´s no need for any additional cleaning, as any dirt which may have landed on the array simply washes off. If additional cleaning is required, most window cleaners with a reach and wash system should be able to do it fairly quickly, cheaply and easily.

Do you use electricity? Do you have somewhere suitable on your roof or in your garden? If you answered yes to both these questions, then yes, solar is for you. Its a no brainer. The real question is ´who should I choose to fit my new solar PV system?¨ A well-designed and installed system, sold at the right price, with strong guarantees and a high level of after-sales support, is without doubt the most sound investment decision a homeowner can make, both financially and ethically. A poorly designed and installed system, or one which you paid over the odds for, will result in a complete waste of money, if not something more dangerous. Get someone you can trust -like Ecotekk- who will do you a good job for you at a fair price, and you will definitely be better off for installing solar than you would be if you had not done so.

kilowatt is the standard unit of power in electronics. 1Kwh is the amount of energy used/generated when 1kw of power is drawn for 1 hour. You are billed by your electricity provider according to what your electricity usage is in kilowatt hours.

Usually within 3-4 weeks of receiving an order.

We offer the strongest guarantees of any Solar PV installer, including 25 years (at least) for the panels, and 10 years plus for the inverter and battery storage system, according to its manufacturer. We also provide a comprehensive10 years workmanship guarantee, and a double indemnified, insurance backed from QANW.

The most efficient panels available for roof-top solar are around 23%. It is worth noting however, that a panel that is 5% more efficient just needs 5% less space to produce the same power as the one 5% less efficient. In other words, unless you are extremely space limited, efficiency is not the most important issue, all other things being equal. In practice however, we do find that generally, the better quality, more efficient panels, will likely clock up more kWh in total than arrays of equivalent KWp size using less efficient panels. But we have to stress this is anecdotal, based on feedback from real customers.

The short answer is that depends on how big the panels are, terms of output in kwp. The real questions are how much power do you need? And how many do you have space for? Most panels are around 1mX 2m, but some are bigger and some are smaller. A good rule of thumb is you will need about 20m2 for a 5kwp system, or 4m2 per kwp. A system which could cover all of your needs without ever drawing power from the grid would mean an awful lot of panels and batteries, and would likely bump up against budget or space limitations (although if it didn’t, well in that scenario, it would make sense to have a really big system -you’d be exporting loads in summertime, but you can still make good money with that under the smart export guarantee). If you sized the system to rough equivalence with demand over the year, and took advantage of the most favorable tariffs available, then you would effectively reduce your bills to nearly zero, saving up to1500 pounds a year, approximately.

Today. Right now, if it were possible. However, even if you call us straight away, we´ll probably still need a couple of days to be able to schedule a visit, and it usually takes about 4 weeks from when you place your order for us to complete the work and commission the system. But every day you put it off is one more day´s free energy that you will be missing out

No, but it works on a sliding scale -the more sunlight, the more power.

It depends how much your use is, and how big a system you have/want. We can design a system to accomplish this if that is your primary goal. In practice, as most people are grid connected, whats important is the overall reduction in annual bills, not complete energy independence per-se (although our systems can provide back up in the event of a blackout). A system capable of covering all the winter´s energy requirements would generate far more power than was required in the summertime. Unless you are off-grid, the better question is will this reduce my bills to nearly nothing? To which the answer is yes, absolutely. You will still be billed for the standing charge, but even this can be offset with income under the smart export guarantee.

If you have battery storage, the battery bank will be topped up until it has reached its capacity. If the array is still producing power after the batteries have been fully charged, then excess power is fed into the national grid, and the homeowner can claim an export tariff from their utility provider.

You´re probably not going to be worrying about your solar investment not paying you back in your lifetime, for one. Or be concerned that someone else will be reaping the benefits. Whoever the house is left to will benefit -either directly, by moving in and reaping the free energy, or by selling it, and realizing the property´s enhanced value. Most significantly, you will be able to feel that you have done something good and important while you could.

If fitted incorrectly, or using sub-standard equipment, absolutely. If done properly, this should never happen.

Not if you choose Ecotekk. However, choosing a company that is either incompetent, unscrupulous, or both, represents a serious risk -your system may not perform and be somewhat of a waste of money, or worse, actually become a dangerous risk to life. Installed properly, by people that know what they are doing, it is the perfect technology, the ideal product. There is nothing else you effectively get paid for buying, and is guaranteed to make you richer over your lifetime than you would have been without it.

The technology is always improving. But a slightly more efficient panel just needs slightly less space to produce the same power. Its never worth waiting for more advanced technology, because today´s technology is already more than sufficient for people´s needs. Waiting any more time than is necessary just represents an enormous opportunity cost -all the sunshine going to waste landing on roof tiles, when it could be powering your home for nothing. This argument was the biggest red herring against investing in solar 15 years ago, it remains so today, and will likely continue to be so for some time. Do not wait for something that may or may not be over the horizon. When our solar customers look back, their only regrets are ever not doing it sooner, or not having had more panels.

Solar PV panels are considered ‘permitted developments’ and often don’t require planning permission. However, exceptions apply and it’s best to check with your local planning office for guidance. If you live in a listed building, conservation area or national park, additional restrictions may apply. If you’re planning to install a solar PV system in your home, you must register it with your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). The DNO is the company responsible for bringing electricity to your home. Ecotekk will always undertake these applications on behalf of all its customers.

The average system size is around 4kWp and this will typically take up around 16-17m2 roof area. Panels come in a wide range of physical sizes and power outputs. A good rule of thumb is 1kwp will require about 4 square metres on the roof.

Absolutely. Panels actually work better in cool conditions, as electrical resistance is lower, so on a bright sunny day, your solar PV system could well be operating close to its peak performance. But obviously, daylight hours are much shorter in winter, and this will be reflected in the cumulative generation through the season, which will be a lot less than it is during the long days and short nights of summer.

There is no ´best solar panel´ per-se, only the best choice depending on any given customer´s specific situation. Things to consider are how well the panel performs in partially shaded conditions, or when the weather gets very hot, or when light is very low, in other words, how well it performs in real world conditions as opposed to under standardtesting conditions in a laboratory; what its resistance to various forms of corrosion is like, how well it maintains its original output over its lifetime, and of course how cost effective it is, or isn’t. We could go on. Just beware any company trying to push one particular brand, because the chances are they have a warehouse full of them, and are quoting them to every householder they visit, regardless of their actual suitability. A firm genuinely concerned with helping you realize your solar PV systems maximal potential should be able to offer you a variety of different panels, inverters, battery banks and monitoring solutions, giving you sound advice and helping you make an informed decision in accordance with your unique requirements.

Again, this will depend on your specific requirements. The size of the PV array, the presence or not of a battery bank, whether there are any shading issues, what the monitoring requirements are, where the inverter is to be located, how tight the budget is, whether the goal is to have the most efficient system, or the most cost-effective installation -all these factors could impact our recommendation to a PV customer. All the equipment we install is excellent quality. Everything is tested the same rigorous standards laid out by the Micro-generation Certification Scheme (MCS), in the same laboratories and under identical, standard test conditions.

Yes, of course, at extremely low interest rates.

Currently, Ecotekk are installing throughout Wales and the South West of England.

Ecotekk are extremely busy at present, but always endeavor to offer customers a consultation within a week of a customer´s initial enquiry.

Battery storage system allow you to store the excess energy generated by your solar PV system until when it is required.

Energy produced by your solar PV array in excess of whatever the current demand is, will, without a battery be exported to the national grid. With a battery, the excess power chargers a battery bank instead of exproting it to the grid.

Yes. AC coupled, and DC coupled. The former configuration mainly being employed in retrofits, wherby an additional AC coupled charger-inverter is installed alongside the extant system to re- convert the AC to the DC required to charge a battery. By contrast, a DC-coupled system employs a hybrid inverter which will charge a battery bank with direct current from the solar PV, while flipping the requisite amount (determined by sophisticated software) to meet the household demand.

By this question, people usually mean the chemistry of the battery. Yes there are different chemistries employed with various makes and models, although Lithium-Ion are the most frequently used, and generally considered the superior -more efficient and long-lasting, while lead acid designs usually cost less to produce and therefore cheaper for the consumer at the point of sale.

Really it depends on what you want to achieve by installing a system. Do you simply want to maximize the benefits of your solar PV installation? Do you want to provide back up for essential appliances in the event of a blackout? Or to be able to back up the demand of the entire property in that scenario? And for how many hours or days do you want to be able to do that for? Do you have or intend to get an electric car? Or a heat-pump? Or do your just want to maximize the potential earning that homeowners can generate by taking advantages of tariffs such as Octopus Flux (which allows you to charge a battery cheaply during the early hours of the morning, and then discharge at a much more lucrative rate the following evening)? -something which actually makes sound economic sense even without a solar PV system installed alongside. To attempt to put some numbers on it: its pointless having less than 5kwh, because of the costs embedded in the installation process, which drops as a relative part of the overall cost as you increase the system size. Its also worth considering how much you’re able to charge the batteries during the hours when importing is cheap, and how much power you are able to draw from the grid before you have to switch to a three-phase supply. For these reasons, about 30kwh would be the upper end of what we ́d normally recommend for residential, grid-connected applications, and for most people, 5-20 would likely represent the sweet-spot for returns Vs initial outlay, although because of economies of scale, the cost effectiveness will always go up exponentially as you increase the overall capacity of the system.

You can save a lots of money having either a solar PV system or a battery storage one (unconnected to any panels). However you will save the most money by having the both combined together.

Batteries range in size from that of a small computer to the size of a washing machine. Greater charging capacity means a bigger and heavier battery. One of our most popular 10kwh energy storage systems has dimensions of 380 X 1250 X 147 (width height, depth), to put some numbers of it. Shapes and sizes vary from one make and model to the next, but you ́re going to need roughly the same amount of space for a given size of battery bank regardless of which particular product you go for. Overall, the typical amount of wall space required for housing the inverter and battery system is just over one metre in width, and between 1m and 2m in height, depending on the power and size of the battery.

Batteries can be stored either indoors or outside, wherever there is space. Garages are often ideal. Loft spaces have recently been prohibited. Small systems can be wall-mounted, while larger ones sit on the floor. Many manufacturers offer modular systems whereby batteries can be stacked on top of each other, and there is an increasingly large number are making modules which can be installed outdoors.

On a small scale, or at the household level, the two technologies complement each other by ensuring that the clean power a homeowner generates with their solar PV system, they then get to use themselves within the home. Also, because you typically pay significantly more for the energy you import from the grid and what paid for your excess energy generation, it makes sound financial sense to install an energy storage system to work in conjunction with your solar PV, as any energy generated above the immediate demand will be stored for later use, rather than exported to the grid at the low, off-peak rate that is available from utility providers during the daytime. On a national network scale, batteries and renewable energy sources working in conjunction with each other, help flatten the energy demand profile over a 24 hour period, reducing the need for dirty auxiliary power-which in practice means firing up fossil fuel plants- whenever green energy provision is sufficiently reduced.

If you’ve been considering getting an electric car for economic reasons (and there are many others), you need to be aware that if you’re always charging at the supermarket, rather than at home, you’re running costs may well in fact be higher than if you were running a diesel or petrol engined vehicle. The economic case for getting an electric vehicle only really applies if you can charge it with the energy your PV system generated, or with energy you charged a battery with overnight when the tariff for importing energy was really low.

Absolutely. Because of tariffs such as Octopus Flux, it is possible to make significant amounts of money by doing whats called a ́forced charge ́ of the battery -which can be programmed to happen automatically during the low-tariff hours- followed by a forced discharge during the period when export is remunerated at a much higher rate. This isn ́t ́gaming the system ́-the utility providers want you to do this. The attractive rates on offer to customers are because householders doing this benefits them as much as the householder – a win-win situation. Its also worth noting that the wholesale price of electricity fluctuates by the minute according to demand, and that there are tariffs available for domestic consumers which track this price, and which can result in some truly bumper returns for those customers withy the technology installed at home to take advantage of.

Energy storage systems, under normal circumstances, shouldn’t just stop working on some hypothetical future date, but like any other working battery, ultimately they will reach a point when their performance starts to gradually decline. But the technology is highly durable, with most models boasting of up to 4000, or even 6000 charge/discharge cycles before this starts to happen. All of our battery storage systems are guaranteed for a minimum of 10 years, but they should in practice last substantially longer.

Most available battery storage systems employ modules which can easily be stacked together. It is much more cost effective to install system to cover your anticipated future needs though than to upgrade the system later on down the line.

Many. Because you ́re doing a good thing, and because you ́ll feel better about yourself for that. You ́ll be a trail blazer – if not in your town or village, may be at least in your street, or your side of the street, or within your extended family or workplace. You can be really proud in choosing to get your ESS installed, even though that really just meant choosing for yourself be better off than you would have been without it. You will that you did your bit, in this regards. And you will have a really cool bit of kit, that for all intents and purposes works just like a money multiplier. And the bigger of a money multiplier you get, the more money it can make you, every single day of its effective lifetime. To say its a ́win-win scenario is to grossly understate how utterly compelling the case for getting battery storage is.

No good ones. Battery storage systems are a money multiplier, that are guaranteed to make you better off for owning one. Every day you put it off is a day of income you’ll never get back. The sooner you get one, the longer it pays you back for?

In as little as 2-3 weeks.

Just one day.