Just over 3,000 solar installations are being carried out every week, according to trade association Solar Energy UK, up from 1,000 a week in July 2020.
One provider said this month it had seen enquiries about solar panels rise tenfold. The fact that renewable energy helps protect the planet has always made it an attractive option.
The way they work is simple: the panels absorb sunlight through photovoltaic cells which convert it into electricity that can be flowed through your home, or into a battery.
The process significantly reduces the amount of electricity you will need from the network. People who have successfully installed solar panels report saving hundreds of pounds on electricity bills.
But they are not the answer for everyone, as installing them means an upfront investment of thousands of pounds and you’ll need the right type of property.
Soaring energy prices, however, have slashed the time taken to recoup your initial costs.
A decade ago a typical solar panel system cost around £20,000 and would take around a decade to cover those set-up costs but prices for solar panel systems have fallen by more than 60% since then, meaning it takes between four and five years for a system to pay for itself.
The price includes installation and the number of panels will depend on how much space you have on a roof. A typical 20sq m roof could hold 12 panels.
What you’ll end up paying will depend on the size of the system, the type of panel you choose, the quality of components, the accessibility and state of repair of your roof, and the individual installer, says Which?
The amount of electricity solar panels generate depends on the type and size of system and home.
A report for Solar Energy UK suggests that a typical home could cut electricity bills by more than £300 a year. Households with electric heating could be more than £900 a year better off, the report said, although most UK households remain on gas central heating.
If energy bills rise as predicted this winter, then the value of electricity generated through solar panels could almost double, says Kevin Holland, managing director of The Solar Shed, a Norfolk-based renewable energy business.
He says a typical solar panel system could generate £1,200 worth of electricity in a year at current prices.
If energy bills rise by 80% in October plus a further 50% in January, as forecast, then the value of electricity generated by a typical system could climb to around £3,240.
Also, if you don’t actually use all the electricity you generate, you can sell that surplus to an energy firm.
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Full article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62524031
