Solar panels are often advertised as the way forward for energy, providing clean, independent electricity to households; however, it is important to know exactly what you are getting into before committing to the purchase.
How do solar panels work?
Solar panels simply transfer the sun’s energy into usable electricity for your home. Most commonly, photovoltaics (PV) contain silicon, which reacts to the intense heat of sunlight through its electrons. These electrons vibrate rapidly, generating an electrical current that is channelled into your home’s electricity circuits.
What are the benefits?
The switch to solar energy offers the combined benefits of saving money on your bills and saving the planet. Solar panels cut down your reliance on the national grid, and investing in a battery means you can store your electricity for later use. By using less of the grid’s energy, you are reducing your carbon footprint by being less dependent on fossil fuels.
What kind of savings will you see?
This will depend on factors such as your house, its location, and the number of panels you buy, but you can typically get a good idea by discussing this with solar panel installers in Bristol. Expert solar panel installers Bristol will be happy to provide a breakdown of instalment costs and how much you can expect to save.
Most people will save between £130 and £310 per year on their energy bills, not to mention the money you could potentially earn from returning excess energy to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee (
What about the drawbacks?
Nothing is perfect, but renewable energy sources are improving as time goes on. For now, solar panels are not as effective in areas with low sunlight exposure or during the colder, cloudier winter months. Additionally, solar panels are not cheap to install. You will pay off the cost within 15 years in most cases, but you will need to be financially secure before committing.
Batteries can help with this, and you will save on your monthly bills regardless, but it is worth keeping the limitations in mind.
