Solar PV
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels allow you to generate your own clean, renewable electricity from sunlight. By installing solar panels on your home, you can significantly reduce your electricity bills, lower your carbon footprint, and even earn money by selling excess energy back to the grid.
In the UK, a typical home solar system can save between £200 and £500 per year on electricity bills, depending on your energy usage and the size of the system.
How solar panels work
Solar panels are made of silicon cells that capture energy from sunlight and convert it into direct current (DC) electricity. This is then passed through an inverter, which converts it into alternating current (AC)—the type of electricity used by your home appliances and the national grid.
Solar panels do not need direct sunlight to work; they can still generate electricity on cloudy days, though they are most efficient when the sun is brightest.
Benefits of solar power
- Financial savings: Reduce the amount of electricity you need to buy from your supplier.
- Energy independence: Protect yourself against future energy price rises by generating your own power.
- Carbon reduction: A typical home solar system can save around one tonne of CO2 per year.
- Earn money: Get paid for the electricity you don’t use through the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).
- Low maintenance: Solar panels have no moving parts and typically last for 25 to 30 years.
Maximise your savings: To get the best return on investment, we recommend combining solar panels with battery storage. This allows you to store the energy you generate during the day for use in the evening.
Tools
- Solar potential calculator — Estimate how much energy your roof could generate.
- Export income estimator — Calculate your potential earnings from the grid.
Guides
- Solar panel types — Comparing monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin-film panels.
- Solar thermal — Using sunlight to heat your water directly.
- Inverters and equipment — Understanding the hardware that powers your system.
- Battery integration — How to store your solar energy for later use.
- Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) — Getting paid for exporting power to the grid.
- Planning permission — Rules for roof-mounted and ground-mounted systems.
- Maintenance and cleaning — Keeping your panels at peak efficiency.
- Solar for business — Scaling solar for commercial and industrial properties.
- Feed-in tariffs — Important information for owners of older systems.