What is Solar PV?

A Solar PV system uses panels of photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert solar energy into electricity. Panels are usually ground or roof-mounted and arranged in strings to create a solar PV array. The PV array feeds DC electricity into an inverter, which converts the DC electricity into AC electricity. This can then be used to run household lighting and power or be fed back into the electricity grid.

Why Solar Panels?

Feed In Tariff (FIT)- In addition to the money saved on your energy bills and any money made by exporting excess electricity to the grid, the energy companies are currently offering a very generous incentive for you to install Solar panels in the form of the Feed In Tariff.

Irrespective of whether you use the electricity or sell it back to the grid, your energy company will pay you for every kW/h (kiloWatt/hour) of energy you generate.

The price per kW/h your energy company will pay you is dependent on the size of Solar PV system you have installed. The current tariff is shown below-

Scale	Tariff (p/kWh)	Tariff Duration
≤4 kW retrofit	43.3	25 years
≤4 kW new	37.8	25 years
>4-10kW	32.9	25 years

Unlike some of the advertised offers for free solar PV, any equipment we install will be your property and you will be able to take advantage of the potential income from the feed in tariff scheme.

Cut your electricity bills- With current increases in energy bills of around 10% plus per annum there has never been a better time to consider generating your own electricity. At our current rate of consumption it's widely thought that traditional fossil fuels (gas and oil) will run out in our lifetime. In fact some sources claim gas and oil could run out in the first half of this century. With this in mind, and the current reliance on fossil fuels for the traditional methods of electricity generation, the current price increases may not be exceptional and may in fact become the norm.

Electricity generated by a solar PV installation can go some way to reducing your electricity bill. A well designed solar PV system could potentially supply around 50% of your total electricity requirements.

Sell electricity back to the grid- If you generate more electricity than you use you can export it back to the grid and be paid for it by your energy supplier.

Cut your carbon footprint- Solar electricity is a renewable green energy which does not release harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) in the generation of electricity. A typical 3kWp domestic system generating 2400kWh of energy will save around 1 tonne of CO2 per year.

Why Choose Allied Electrical Services?

One of the requirements that must be met in order to claim the Feed In Tariff is that your Solar PV system must be installed by an MCS certified installer (http://www.microgenerationcertification.org/).

Allied Electrical Services are MCS approved installers and are governed by the REAL Assurance scheme (http://www.realassurance.org.uk/).

All of our systems are designed using the latest PV shade and climate simulation software (PV*SOL Expert) to accurately predict expected system output and potential financial returns you can expect. As part of our quote we can also provide photographic images of your property with the proposed PV panels in place to give you an accurate representation of what the finished installation will look like.

All roof PV installations are subject to structural analysis and calculations by a professional qualified structural engineer.

All installations are carried out by our qualified and experienced PV installers.

Is Solar PV right for me?

The first step to answering this question is via a detailed site survey. We do not employ commission driven salesmen, if your property is not suitable we will tell you. Most of our Solar PV customers come from word of mouth recommendations; we do not want disappointed customers.

During the site visit we can discuss you requirements and expectations and advise as to whether Solar PV is right for your property. All quotes are free with no obligation to buy.