Solar PV panels

You may well have to replace the inverter (the box that converts direct current from the panels mains alternating current) after 10 – 15 years at a cost of perhaps £800 at 2022 prices. The panels themselves should still produce at least 80% of initial power after 25 years.   For batteries, many manufacturers provide a warranty of perhaps 10 years or some number of cycles (filling and emptying the battery), whichever is the smaller, with some level of degradation, for example 20%. However, it’s too early to know what the lifetime of batteries will be in practice. 

The other consideration is whether you have any birds nesting in your walls or eaves. It is illegal to disturb them, so you should ensure that there aren’t any before installing panels or erecting scaffolding. Whilst house martins and house sparrows are usually obvious, swifts may not be. If they are present, the work should not be carried out - or scaffolding erected - between mid-April and mid-August.  If bats are discovered before or during a planned installation, extra consideration must be taken. A licence may need to be obtained from you Statutory Nature Conservation Organisation. Further details can be [...]

They should be covered by your buildings insurance, but we recommend that you contact your insurer to confirm this. 

As with solar panels, there are social and environmental issues around the mining of the materials used in electrical batteries, and the issues are more serious because of the type of materials (mainly lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese). Again, there is significant work to be done to set up systems and facilities for recycling these batteries. 

We are currently working with five local installers, who between them, cover the whole of Cumbria. We can support anyone who wants a quote – please visit Solar Made Easy - CAfS. If you wish to proceed independently, we would recommend that you look out for the following  when you seek quotes :  Are they MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) accredited? You can search for installers in Cumbria here.  Are they a member of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code?  Do they have good reviews?  Check their quote includes:  A realistic estimation of electricity generation and percentage of electricity that is likely [...]

Generally speaking, no. This is to protect anyone repairing the line from electricity coming from your panels. Solar PV systems are not really designed to be back up power systems. This is because the generation is intermittent. Even if you had a battery, it may not be full at the time of the power cut, and the electricity held within it might not last very long. That’s said, certain systems can be adapted to work in a power cut. If this is something that is of particular interest to you, make sure you discuss this with your installers at the [...]

If you are installing a large system (your inverter has an output greater than 3.6kW), you need to apply to connect to the national grid (via Electricity North West). This is to ensure that if you are exporting 100% of your electricity at any particular time, the network in your local area can cope with the additional electricity. Your installer should be able to apply on your behalf. Unfortunately, there is often a wait of several weeks before permissions are granted. There is a possibility that you may be charged for any upgrade works to the grid that are required to [...]

Generally speaking, no. Installing solar panels is considered to be permitted development (as long as the installation doesn’t extend beyond certain limits). However, for domestic properties, you will need planning permission if “in the case of land within a conservation area or which is a World Heritage Site, the solar PV or solar thermal equipment would be installed on a wall which fronts a highway”, or if “the solar PV or solar thermal equipment would be installed on a building within the curtilage of the dwellinghouse or block of flats if the dwellinghouse or block of flats is a listed [...]

Solar PV systems are generally very low maintenance.  There seems to be a difference of opinion on whether it is necessary to clean panels and you can find advocates for annual cleaning (this could cost £100 - £200) while others say that this isn’t needed in UK conditions (but check more carefully if pigeons roost nearby!). Investigate further before getting this done or trying to do it yourself. 

The amount of time it takes for you to recoup the initial cost of the solar panel system (the payback time) depends on:  The amount you paid for your system  The amount of electricity that you generate – see more below  The amount of generated electricity that you use – see more below  How much you pay for your electricity from the national grid via your electricity supplier  How much you get paid for electricity that you export (the Smart Export Guarantee, which varies from supplier to supplier) – see more below   If you can optimise these variables (i.e. a [...]