Since 2011 people in the UK have been familiar with the sight of solar panels decorating roofs across the country. But what exactly do they do, and what are the advantages of having them?

Solar PV systems turn sunlight into electricity through the ‘solar cells’ they contain. These cells are made from thin layers of a ‘semiconductor’ material (traditionally silicon) between layers of glass. Electricity leaves the panel as direct current (DC) and passes through an inverter that converts it to 240V alternating current (AC), so that it can be used in your home. This electricity can then power any appliances that are switched on – washing machine, TV and so on – while the surplus (if there is any) is exported to the electricity grid, or stored in a battery if you have one. So what this means is by creating and potentially storing your own electricity you can reduce seemingly ever rising electricity costs.

With the SEG (Smart Export Guarantee) which was launched in January 2020, a government backed scheme, all of our installations can benefit from being able to sell excess electricity produced back to the National Grid. This is providing there is a smart meter available at the property.

With electricity costs continuing to rise at an unprecedented rate solar PV is once again becoming one of the most popular energy saving measures on the UK market.