GO SOLAR - GO INTEGRATED
Roof-Integrated
photovoltaic panel systems
GSE IN-ROOF SYSTEM advantages
Certified and guaranteed
Design and manufactured in France, the systems are reliable and watertight. They are tested in extreme conditions and ATEC- and MCS-certified.
Aesthetics
When replacing tiles or slates, the GSE IN-ROOF SYSTEM provides the best aesthetic integration of solar panels on roofs.
Universal
The systems can adapt to all roofs and are compatible with the majority of photovoltaic solar panels on the market and the major roof window brands.
Competitive:
More economical for new residential builds than an overlay system. Roofing cost savings vary from £20 to £40 per m2 depending on configurations.
Totally watertight system
PV system and roof guaranteed to be totally watertight
Most aesthetic
When replacing tiles or slates, the GSE IN-ROOF SYSTEM provides the best aesthetic integration of solar panels in roofs with no surplus thickness.
SMART EXPORT GUARANTEE (SEG)
Home and businesses generating renewable and low-carbon electricity are guaranteed money for power supplied to the grid.
Introduced by the government on Monday 10 June 2019, new homes and businesses creating 50kW or less and exporting surplus electricity to the grid will be provided a payment from suppliers under a new government scheme.
The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) will ensure small-scale electricity generators installing solar, wind or other forms of renewable generation with an electrical capacity of 50kW or less will be paid for each unit of electricity they sell to the grid, tracked by their smart meter.
The previous Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme closed to new entrants from 31 March 2019.
SEG is designed to continue to grow the small-scale renewables export mark by supporting local generation.
To benefit from the SEG
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Installations up to and including 50kW in size must use MCS certified technology
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Installations up to and including 50kW in size must be installed by an MCS certified installer
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Exported power must be metered, with a meter capable of reporting exports on a half hourly basis
It is expected that mandated suppliers will have to offer at least one SEG compliant tariff from 1 January 2020.
Solar panels are an ideal method of reducing fuel bills and making a home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
What are solar panels?
Solar panel electricity systems, also known as photovoltaics (PV), capture the energy from the sun using photovoltaic cells. These cells are able to generate electricity on an overcast day, not relying on direct sunlight to function.
The cells convert sunlight into electricity which a household can utilise.
What does photovoltaic (PV) mean?
Photovoltaic (PV) describes the process by which a material converts sunlight into electricity. Derived from the words ‘photo’, which is Greek for light, and ‘voltaic’, meaning voltage, photovoltaic basically means electricity from the energy of the sun.
The benefits of solar PV
There are several benefits of switching to solar PV:
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Solar is a renewable energy source which can be harnessed everywhere in the world, every day;
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Using solar energy means you will be reducing your electricity bills. The more solar energy you generate, the less you’ll be paying for electricity;
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Solar energy systems typically don’t require much maintenance, cleaning twice a year should suffice.
The cost and savings of solar panels
Most domestic solar PV systems are 4kWp and cost between £5,000 and £8,000. These systems are capable of generating approximately 3,400 to 4,200 kilowatt hours of power a year, depending on whereabouts in the UK you are based and how they have been installed at your property.
How many solar panels do you need?
The number of panels you will need will depend upon mainly the size of the space where the panels will be situated and how much electricity you currently consume. Generally, for a 4kWp solar PV system you will need space for 12 to 16 panels as different panels have different wattage capabilities.
Finance availability & considerations
If you are looking to purchase a 4kWp solar PV system then it could cost you between £5,000 and £8,000. This is a considerable investment and you may need to look at different finance options available to you. Your options could include:
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Obtain finance from a lender via the installer (if the installer has a finance facility);
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Taking out a personal loan;
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Re-mortgaging your property.
Government grants
Following the closure of the Feed-in tariff and the export tariff on 31st March 2019, the Government have introduced a proposed replacement in the form of the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG), which, if implemented would see energy providers pay homeowners for energy they generate.
Solar panel efficiency
Solar panel efficiency is determined by testing panels at Standard Test Conditions (STC), using a temperature of 25°C and an irradiance of 1,000 W/m2 – the equivalent of a sunny day with incident light hitting a sun-facing surface tilted to 37°. A solar panel efficiency of 15% with a 1m2 surface area would produce 150 Watts under these test conditions.
How to calculate the performance
If you would like an estimation of how you can expect your solar system to perform over the years, your installer will be able to calculate this using the following method:
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Take into account the direction of the solar panels facing the sun;
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Take into account the angle of the solar panels;
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Take into account any obstacles surrounding the solar panels which are obstructing the line of sight towards the sun;
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Take into account degradation of the solar panels (i.e. panels performance reduce overtime).
The house direction
In the UK, solar panels are most effective when south facing, as this means they will be facing the sun for the majority of the day. Panels facing north will be far less efficient as they will be facing away from the sun.
Slope of roof
The optimal angle of tilt to position solar panels isn’t straightforward. In the UK, the sun is higher in the sky in the summer and lower in winter, meaning that if your panels are pointing at the position of the sun at midday in midsummer, they’ll maximise efficiency over summer but lose out in winter.
In the UK panels that are tilted at 15° or more have the benefit of being cleaned by rainfall to ensure optimal performance.
Shading
Shade is the nemesis of solar panels, capable of having a really adverse influence on their efficiency. It’s important to assess the area that you have earmarked for your panels in order to establish any nearby buildings or vegetation that could cause an issue. Also, due to changes in the angle of the sun, shadows will be in different positions at different times of the day and year. It would be prudent to gauge this over a six month period.