Nowadays people are looking to find ways of saving money on their household bills and have more energy-efficient homes. One of the ways that we can all do this, is by harnessing solar energy.
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How does Solar Energy Work?
Solar energy is the process of using radiant heat and light from the sun to create energy which can be used for a number of functions, such as powering and heating our homes. The technology can be described as either passive or active, depending on the way that they capture, convert and distribute the energy.
At its most basic level, solar photovoltaic (or PV) panels absorb electromagnetic radiation from the sun which is then converted into electricity for use in your home.
Since ancient times, people have been harness the power of the sun, and as such has influenced architectural building design. The ancient Greeks and Chinese have often built homes and other buildings to face the direction of the sun, in order to provide the maximum amount of light and heat into them.
In modern times, there has been a massive drive towards using the power of the sun in order to cut back on the reliance of fossil fuels such as coal to provide energy. This has lead to a government Green Deal Excellence scheme being introduced worth around £1.25 billion per year all in the aid to encourage more energy efficient measures in older style properties. In this article, we explore the best ways of harnessing the sun’s energy to create a more energy efficient home.
Click here to watch a pretty cool video also explaining how solar energy works.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Panels
The great thing about the cells contained in PV panels is that they do not need direct sunlight to work; they can still absorb solar energy on cloudy days, which is useful for places like Britain!
Another positive point to note is that you do not have to pay for sunlight, so once you have paid off the initial installation costs of your PV panels, you will be making huge savings on your utility bills. Some people even feed any excess electricity generated back into the grid, which is awesome from a financial point of view because you are paid for the amount of energy you put into the grid!
A PV panel installation costs on average £7,000 (including a reduced rate of VAT – currently 5%), with typical costs between £5,500 to £9,500. Although this may seem like quite an expense, an average installation can generate about three quarters of a home’s electricity needs, so there are some considerable savings to be made.
Solar Water Heating
A solar water heating system is the perfect accompaniment to a traditional boiler system. It works through the use of solar collectors mounted on the roof, which look similar to standard PV panels. They collect heat from the sun and use this to heat up water that is stored in a hot water cylinder.
When there isn’t enough solar power to heat your hot water cylinder, your standard boiler can be used to heat it up instead.
The typical installation cost of a solar water heating system is around £4,800 including the reduced VAT rate. The only downside with this is that although they are ideal for summertime, they won’t provide as much hot water during the colder, winter months.
