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hello and welcome.

I'm Rob Lily.

And this is the witch short podcast.

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Well, if it's sunny where you are today, we'll be talking about how you can harness

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If you were to leave us a review and a rating to this week, we're talking all

about solar panels, telling you everything you need to know before installing.

Treatise this article originally written by Karen Lawrence.

I'll hand you over to Angus Farka.

Installing solar panels could cut energy bills by more than 300

pounds a year for a typical home.

According to a report from the trade association, solar

energy, UK, the financial.

Carried out by the university of Cambridge found that households could

be more than 900 pounds a year, better off in the best case scenario, a home

with electric heating, how much you could potentially benefit, depends on

multiple factors, including where you live, what direction the roof faces,

whether there's any shading and how much time you spend at home during the day.

But with energy bills expected to rise when the price cap is reviewed

by regulator off gem in October, it's a good time to find out whether

solar PV panels will save you money.

And our in-depth research will help you work this out where you live affects

how much energy solar, voltaic, or PV panels can generate due to differences

in solar irradiance or insulation, the energy received from the.

And local weather conditions for maximum power output.

The ideal solar PV installation would be on a large south facing

34 degree, pitched roof free from shading in the south of England.

If that describes your home, you've hit the jackpot.

If not solar panels will still work effectively in less than

ideal conditions, but some factors affect output more than others.

So it pays to do your home.

We use the energy saving trusts, solar energy calculator to estimate

the energy generation bill savings and carbon dioxide emissions

reduction for selected UK locations.

For comparison purposes, we assumed all other key variables remained the

same, a four kilowatt peak system on a south facing 30 degree pitched roof

with very little or no shading, and that the occupants were at home or.

The latter is important as this is how you can make the most of the energy.

Your panels are producing.

Keep listening to find out why we found the place with the highest

solar generation potential is brightened at 3,855 kilowatt hours

closely followed by Plymouth.

Uh, Norridge at the other end of the scale is Inverness at 3,150 kilowatt hours per.

Although this is some 18% less than Brighton it's worth bearing in mind.

That location is not the most significant factor.

When considering solar panels, shading can severely limit the

power, your panels generate.

We recalculated the figures for Brighton increasing the shading to

significant and sort of 35% reduction in potential annual energy production.

When we increase the shading to.

The energy generation fell by 50%.

So if your rooftop is shaded for much of the day by buildings, trees, or

other objects that cannot be removed easily, then solar panels may not

generate enough energy to repay them.

Orientation is also significant solar panels can work well on east

or west facing roofs, although they will produce around 15%, less energy.

But when we recalculated using a north facing aspect, the

energy generation fell by 30.

While each individual factor may have a minor effect on the

performance of solar panels.

The cumulative effect of two or more factors can make

a considerable difference.

For example, a rooftop system in Inverness facing east and with significant

shading is expected to generate less than half the energy of the ideal

installation in Brighton on thousand 687 kilowatt hours versus 3,855 kilowatt.

How much time you spend at home and how much electricity you used during

daylight hours have a big impact on your potential energy bill reduction, every

unit of solar energy you use in your home.

Save the equivalent retail price of electricity currently capped

at an average of 28 pounds per kilowatt hour, which is what you

would pay to your energy supplier.

This varies slightly by region payment method and meet.

If you're unable to use it all, you can sell the surplus to an energy firm

under the smart export guarantee scheme.

But the rate you get is much lower than the retail price government backed SEG

stipulates only that this rate must be above zero and current terrorists

ranged from a poultry 1.5 Pence to 7.5 Pence per kilowatt hour, or up to 10.

To 12 Pence per kilowatt hour from octopus energy.

If you have solar panels and a Tesla power wall.

If you live in Northern Ireland, SEG doesn't apply.

Instead, you can sell excess electricity directly to the

supplier or via an agent power.

And I currently offers 7.85 Pence per kilowatt hour.

No matter where you live in the UK, the difference between the retail price

you pay and the payments you receive means that using the energy yourself

is much more cost-effective than.

If you're at home using electricity during the day, the savings stack up much

more rapidly than if your home is empty.

For example, we found the average annual cost of running a washing machine tumble

dryer and dishwasher is around 215 pounds.

So if you're at home or can schedule these to run during the day, then you

could save up to 215 pounds a year by powering them from the solar panel.

Selling the equivalent amount of energy at 4.1 Pence per kilowatt

hour would earn you just 31 pounds.

Solar PV prices have fallen by more than 60%, since 2010, when a typical

system costs around 20,000 pounds.

The recently announced VAT rate cuts on solar panels from 5%

to 0% should cut costs further.

However, it's not easy without getting bespoke quotes to work

out how much you'll need to do.

The EST calculations we used are based on an installation cost of

5,419 pounds for a four kilowatt peak system data from the Royal institution

of chartered surveyors suggests a similar system costs between 9,000 to

11,700 while a solar energy UK report.

This is the cost of a typical 3.1 kilowatt peak system as 3,925.

So what's the.

It depends on the size of the system type of panel.

You choose the quality of components, the accessibility and state of repair of

the roof and the individual installer.

Many installers work with just one or two solar panel brands.

So you might not be offered a choice of manufacturer, but it's worth understanding

what type of panel you'll be.

Of the three main types available monocrystalline panels are the most

efficient around 20 to 22% having the longest lifespan of 30 to 50 years.

And some people consider them to be more aesthetically pleasing, but they're also

the most expensive polycrystalline panels.

13 to 16% efficient are cheaper to buy, but might be less

cost-effective in the longterm.

And don't last quite as long at 30 to 40.

Thin film panels, 7% to 13% efficient are the cheapest, but least efficient,

and also have a shorter lifespan than both other types at 10 to 20 years.

But they're flexible.

So can be potentially bent and fitted around obstructions to compare

different quotes, divide the total cost of the system by the total power

output to find the price per one.

Also consider ongoing costs.

Solar panels generally need little regular maintenance, but the EST calculator

allows for replacing the inverter or components twice during the lifetime

of the system in year 10 and year 20 at a cost of around 1,450 pounds.

When we surveyed solar panel owners last year, two thirds have not experienced

any problems since installing.

The most common technical fault involved the inverter at 14%, but

most faults should be rectified by the installer or manufacturer.

Thanks to the generous warranty.

Typically offered string inverters generally have a 10 year warranty

with an option to extend while inverters have a longer life and often

come with 10 to 25 year warranty.

The most common non-technical issues reported when nesting, birds or squirrels

at 15% and dirt building up on the panels, 14% dirty panels absorb less

light and therefore generate less energy.

But unless they're at a very shallow angle, most solar panels

are largely self-cleaning courtesy of a hydrophobic coating that

helps the rain to wash away most.

If your panels are accessible, you can remove leaves and other debris

yourself, and rinse with a hose pipe.

In some locations, there may be a buildup of bird, droppings, tree SAP, salt

spray, or other environmental pollution.

So check the cost of regular professional cleaning.

Particularly if panels will be hard to.

You can get a good idea of the potential savings of installing panels by using

some basic data about your home, the EST solar energy calculator calculates

energy bills, savings, how much you could earn by selling excess power

and carbon dioxide emissions savings you'll need to input your postcode.

Plus the following details about your home roof slope.

The typical roof slope for the average UK home is about 30 degrees.

So use this if you're not sure.

Sure.

Estimate how much shading you have on your roof from up to 20%, none, or

very little to more than 80% heavy.

The calculator uses your postcode to display a map of your property,

which you can adjust to find the orientation of your roof.

Installation size.

An average installation is around four kilowatt peak, but you can input a larger

or smaller system depending on how much space you have available time spent.

Select how much time you typically spend at home during the day to calculate how

much solar energy you might use, the results should tell you enough to gauge

where the solar PV is likely to pay you back over time, or be a waste of money.

Our need for electricity.

Doesn't always coincide with the hours of day.

Some 46% of solar panel owners.

We surveyed last year said they use less than half of the electricity.

Their system produces.

If your home is empty all day timers and smart controllers can help

you schedule appliances to run.

When the panels are generating the most energy, you can also install a PV

divert, a switch to power, an immersion heater, this diverts energy only

when it detects an excess and stores it in the form of hot water to use.

PV divert is cost from a few hundred pounds and can be

retrofitted to existing systems.

If you have a heat pump or are considering installing one, then solar

panels can provide electricity to power it directly or to provide hot water.

However, the heat pump is most power hungry during the winter months, just when

solar panels will be generating the least.

If you have an electric or plug-in hybrid car, and you're able to charge your

car at home during the daytime, solar panels will help you save on energy.

Alternatively battery storage is a good choice.

If you're unable to use much energy, when the sun is.

Depending on the quality and capacity, solar batteries will add around 1,500

to 6,000 pounds to the cost of your system, but you'll be able to use

the electricity whenever you need it.

This is especially cost-effective.

If you use a lot of electricity at night for heating, for example, or charging

an electric vehicle, you can save more than just money as generating your own

energy will also reduce your carbon for.

Just as with financial savings, how much carbon you save?

Depends on how much energy your system generates.

Live in sunny Brighton.

With the ideal roof setup, then you could save 891 kilograms of carbon annually.

The equivalent of driving 6,853 kilometers in the average.

Over a typical 25 year lifetime that's 20.9 tons of carbon saved or

171,325 kilometers of driving in not quite so sunny in Vanessa residents

with the ideal setup can still save a healthy 17.1 tons over 25 years or

9.2 tons with an east facing roof.

The manufacturer of PV systems is not emissions.

However, after around three years of use panels will have prevented the release

of more emissions than it took to create them for some people, the chance to

reduce their carbon footprint will be more important than saving money for others.

It's a nice bonus rooftop.

Solar panels are generally regarded as permitted development in the

UK, which means that you don't need to apply for planning permission.

You might need approval.

However, if your home is listed or in a conservation, So check with

your local planning department.

So let's highlight or slate can be a more acceptable and attractive option, but

might cost more than twice as much as.

If you live in a flat or other lease hold property, you'll need permission of

the freeholder to install solar panels.

It's also worth checking the state of your roof.

It must be strong enough to take the weight of the solar panels and it

makes sense to also replace tiles or carry out other repairs if needed

while the scaffolding is in place.

When requesting quotes look for installers certified by the independent

micro-generation certification scheme, solar panels should be installed by an MCs

certified installer to qualify for S E G payments as with all home improvements.

Get at least three quotes and make sure it's clear.

Exactly.

What's included feedback from solar panel owners suggest the

installation process itself is relatively painless in our survey.

The vast majority.

94% said getting their solar PV system installed was not

very or not at all disruptive.

The low carbon and renewable sector is constantly evolving.

So it's tempting to delay buying until the next innovation comes along

with a cheaper or more efficient.

You may have read about tandem solar cells, Silicon panels, with

a thin perovskite film layer.

These can reach 28% efficiency, but aren't yet in commercial production.

There's also the so-called solar panels that work at night that can

generate energy from infrared light.

But this is only a proof of concept and it might be many years before you can buy

them standard crystalline Silicon panels.

On the other hand are a proven technology whose efficiency has

increased gradually over the.

To 20 to 22% today, which is close to their theoretical maximum.

If the numbers don't quite stack up for your home, just yet keep

an eye on future developments.

But if you can afford solar PV panels outright as otherwise, any

interest you're paying on a loan might cancel out energy bill savings.

They will start saving you money immediately, and it makes

sense to install them now.

Thank you to Angus and to Karen Lawrence to be original author behind.

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