Thinking about switching to solar power?
Harnessing the sun’s hot energy is a great way to make your home or business more environmentally friendly, while bringing down your monthly bills and potentially even boosting the property’s resale value. But before opting for solar power, you need to know which panels are best suited for your needs – and there are a few different key considerations that can help make your decision.
The Great British climate
Here in the UK we certainly have our sunny spells, however the weather in the UK is also very changeable with lots of rain, wind and cloud cover. This means it’s important to choose panels that not only offer reliable performance in varied weather conditions, but also have the strength to stand up against strong winds without becoming damaged.
Luckily companies are producing panels with these two factors in mind, meaning that homeowners still have plenty of options available – even when the British weather is less than ideal. And as the technology develops, solar panels are only becoming more resilient and able to handle varying levels of sunshine.
Price vs. productivity
Never start any big home or office improvement projects without first considering your budget. As with most things, the panels with more bells and whistles will come in at a higher price – and panels that cost more will often offer better efficiency over a long period of time.
Companies specialising in solar panels, such as In Style Solar, will offer a wide range of options to suit many different budgets. As a rule of thumb, the price of your panels is likely to be affected by the size you need, how robust the panels are, any certifications that they have and the overall quality of the system.
Your needs
Of course, not everybody needs all the bells and whistles. If you’re planning to provide energy to a small family home then this is a very different situation than trying to supply power for an office or a large, detached house.
In order to calculate the amount of power your system will need to generate, you’ll first need to determine your average daily energy consumption. This can be done by looking at your past energy bills. Once you have an estimate of your daily energy consumption, you can then determine the size of the system you’ll need to offset that consumption.
Keep in mind that the efficiency of solar panels has increased significantly in recent years, so you may be able to get by with a smaller system – however this should still give you a good guideline. If in doubt, your seller should be able to explain further and offer advice for your property.
Eco credentials
It shouldn’t be surprising that producing your own energy can help reduce your carbon footprint, but the extent of the change can be staggering, with some stats suggesting it can cut your footprint by as much as 80%. Solar panels produce renewable energy, and can keep going for a long time with very little upkeep or maintenance required.
Look for panels produced using an eco manufacturing process, and you can make an even more substantial difference to the environment. Some of the factors to consider include the materials used to create the panels, where they’re being produced, and how they are transported and installed. However if you’re on a tight budget, even the cheaper and less eco panels will still have a positive impact overall, especially if you look after them so that they can keep producing energy for many years to come.
Making the final decision
So here’s the bottom line: Solar panels are a great way to reduce your carbon footprint while generating electricity for your home or business. While there are lots of different options on the market, a good retailer should be able to help you narrow it down to something that suits your energy needs as well as the energy needs in your local area.
As with all big financial decisions, taking the time to compare options and chew over your decision will help ensure that you make a purchase you can feel good about. And as home improvements usually offer a return on investment when you eventually come to sell, it’s a purchase your wallet can feel good about too.
