Generating your own energy at home is a great way to save money on your energy bills and reduce your dependency on non-renewable forms of electricity. One form of renewable energy for people to harness at home is energy from the sun – through a solar panel. Developments in the renewable technologies mean that the solar panel is more effective and affordable than before.
With the Energy Saving Trust arguing that micro generated energy such as that gathered from solar panels could provide 30 to 40 % of the UK’s electricity by the middle of the century it’s a great time to see what all the fuss is about. Firstly, its important to get to grips with the basics of how solar energy works before looking into installing a panel of your own.
Solar is an ideal source of renewable energy. It’s always there in abundance with no damaging emissions polluting the atmosphere as a result of using it. Solar panels work by harnessing light rays. The heat transfer system uses the collected heat to heat water which is collected by a cylinder that stores the hot water (keeping it hot for up to 24 hours) for later use.
One misconception is that you need continuous sunlight for a solar panel to work actually solar panels will convert any form of light that hits it and will still be effective even on cloudy or dull days. In general solar panels are connected to a home’s water supply and the energy is used to heat water, but it’s also possible to use for other purposes, such as heating a swimming pool.
According to the Low carbon building programme, a solar panel can provide almost all of your hot water during the summer months and about 50% the rest of the year round.
There are a number of different varieties of solar panels. You should make your decision based on the size of your home and the space you have available.
An integrated solar power system fits within the roof tiles. This works well as a more subtle and aesthetically pleasing choice, however can work out more expensive. This choice will also depend on the space you have available on your roof.
A roof top system works in a similar way except the collectors are more prominently visable on the roof itself rather than hidden away.
Alternatively, if you have the space in your garden, you can install a standalone system where the collector sits on the ground away from the house altogether.