Is Solar PV worth it? 5 Reasons Why

Energy bills are a cause for concern for many around the country especially with the uncertainty that the energy crisis leaves us in. Little can be said to reassure that bills won’t unexpectedly rise again in the future. After the energy crisis left so many households short changed and struggling to provide during the winter, the option to move onto a private source of electricity is looking more and more attractive. Providing renewable and carbon-free electricity that’s free, Solar PV Panels are sprouting up around the country as more businesses and homes choose to benefit from solar power systems.

However, the cost of having solar panels installed does put a vast number of people off moving to solar power. Having a solar PV system at your property is an investment that, while pays off in the long term both on a small scale regarding reducing your carbon footprint and a large scale regarding your future expense, does have an initial cost. This blog goes into the reasons why Solar PV is worth the investment and how you can get the most out of your Solar PV panels.

How much solar panels and installation costs

There is no blanket figure that works as a basis for how expensive solar panels are as many different factors affect the overall cost. This is largely dependant on the size of the array, roof construction, scaffolding, battery or no battery and the chosen manufacturer of your equipment. Averagely, small to medium residential systems can range from £8,000 – £15,000 depending on specification.

This is why we, at Dynamic Solar, offer free surveys and quotations so you have an exact cost to work with. We factor in absolutely everything in our quotes, leaving you with no hidden surprises.

Five reasons why Solar PV is worth it

1- Save money on your energy bill

The major reason why so many have chosen to solar power are the savings. It’s possible to have solar PV power most of your energy consumption, cutting extensively back on your electricity bills. How much you can save does depend on your energy consumption and how many solar panels you can have installed. You can get a better picture using this handy solar PV calculator here.

2- Environmentally friendly

Every cut back on your carbon output benefits the environment. Moving to solar PV is a big step towards making your day-to-day a greener way of living. Solar PV power is completely carbon-free, emitting zero pollution emissions and providing clean, guilt-free energy that comes directly from the sun.

3- Make money back from the Solar Export Tariff

Under the Small Export Guarantee, energy providers offer a tariff for solar energy that’s produced privately and sold back to the national grid. You make money from each watt that you don’t use and send back to the national grid. Every energy provider offers a different rate so it’s worth looking into how much you could be paid by your energy provider, or even switch to a company with a better tariff.

You can find out what Solar Export Tariffs are available here.

4- Protection from unexpected energy price rises

Reducing your dependency on the national grid with solar panels gives you security against sudden changes in the economy. Having access to free electricity produced at your property means that you’ll be spared from factors that cause energy provider tariffs to climb into unexpected heights, as is happening during the energy crisis. To fully benefit from independence from energy providers, solar batteries give you more freedom as you can store electricity during the day for consumption overnight.

5- Increase the property EPC rating

Installing solar PV to your property will increase points used on the EPC rating and thus might push you into the next EPC band. This can be essential to rental properties as a minimal EPC rating is required to rent them out, so all additional points are essential.

Due to the renewable nature of solar PV, it is one of the highest ranked investments you can make to a property from an EPC point of view.

How long it takes to break even on the investment

You will start making savings on your energy bills the moment solar is installed on your property. However, gaining back the full cost of your upfront investment can take some time. While the Solar Export Tariff is a huge benefit and earns you back money, the amount you receive comes back in small increments. Today, the main benefit comes from utilising solar generation in your property to reduce your energy consumption. If you have a electric vehicle and can utilise excess energy to power that, the cost of charging your car can also be taken into account.

The time period for full repayment of the system can vary dramatically from 5-15 years and this is all based on your current tariff, generation, size of the system and property consumption.

We can provide you with a free estimation of your generation so you can workout your estimated payback periods.

Your home’s suitability

At Dynamic Solar, we put a lot of focus in our free surveys as there are some limitations to having solar panels fitted. How much roof space and ground space you have, how many hours of sunlight your available space sees every day, and whether or not you have permission to install the panels in the first place all need to be factored in before we can give you a quote. If you currently rent your property, the decision to have solar power of course rests with the landlord and owner of the property.

Making the most out of Solar PV

To really benefit from Solar PV, adding solar batteries is a must. Without an option to store and charge up batteries during the day when the solar panels are hard at work, you still end up depending on the electricity provided from the grid during the night. If you work during the day and your energy consumption at home perks during the hours where there is less daylight, you aren’t fully benefiting from the free electricity.

Solar batteries can hold their charge for several days, giving you immediate access to electricity no matter if the sun is out or not.

Find out more about our solar energy solutions

If you want to make the move over to Solar PV, our team are on hand to answer any questions you have. Simply get in touch and speak to our experts. You can also arrange for a free quote here.