Free & impartial energy advice for anyone in Fife

Solar PV

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Solar PV (Photovoltaic) panels turn sunlight into clean energy for your home. Generating your own power is a great way to reduce your bills and lower your carbon emissions.

 

How they work

Solar Panels convert sunlight (Photons) into electricity (Voltage). Solar cells, which are joined together to make up a solar panel, convert the natural energy of the sun into energy we can use in our homes. It’s a common myth that it needs to be a sunny day for Solar PV to work; however, you just need daylight for panels to produce energy, albeit at a lower rate.

A solar cell has thin layers of semiconducting material, which is charged differently to allow the photons to move between the layers and generate a voltage – this is then transferred into your home through an inverter. Solar panels produce Direct Current (DC) electricity, which the inverter converts into Alternating Current (AC), which is used in your home.

The output of a solar PV system is measured in Kilo-Watt Peak (kWp) – this is the maximum energy it could generate at peak performance on a clear day in the summer. The largest system you can get is usually 4kWp.

The power generated from your panels is used immediately by whatever in your home is consuming power. If there is surplus energy being produced this is exported back to the grid, or if you have a battery, you can store it to use later. You can get paid for the energy which is exported to the grid through the Smart Export Guarantee.

 

Is it suitable for my home?

Solar PV may not be suitable for every type of home, there are a number of factors that determine whether you should install solar panels or not.

  • Orientation of your property and its roof
    • Solar PV works best when it’s facing south, south-east or south-west. A solar panel can still capture indirect sunlight when facing north, although this is not advised as your output would be poor
  • Shape, size, and pitch of the roof
    • It is best to ensure the roof has adequate space to fit a suitably sized solar array. The pitch of the roof is also important and should be between 20-60 degrees to ensure it can capture enough solar energy
  • Shading problems
    • Any shading, such as from trees or other buildings, will reduce the potential output of the solar panel
  • Lifestyle
    • A solar panel produces energy mostly during the daytime – if you’re not going to be using any energy during the day you should question whether solar PV is suitable for you or not
  • Planning Permission
    • Remember to check if there is any planning permission needed

Energy Saving Trust have a Solar Panel Calculator that can help assess suitability.

Don’t have a suitable roof? You can now get Plug-in Solar PV which can be mounted on a wall, balcony or in your garden. Read about this in our plug in solar guide.

 

Making the most of the energy you generate

If you have solar PV, or want to install solar pv you should ensure you can use enough energy during peak daylight hours to make the most of your set-up. You may also want to consider installing battery storage.

You can also benefit from the Smart Export Guarantee, although you will get paid less for the energy you export than what you pay to import so you should try to use or store it first.

 

Support from Cosy Kingdom

Are you wanting to know more about solar panels? Our energy advisors are here to help, get in touch to arrange a free and impartial home visit from a member of the team.