| By :
Aaron Dicks
Copyright (c) 2010 Aaron Dicks Solar Photovoltaics have recently been made popular due to the introduction of the UK feed-in tariff. The Teed-In Tariff (FiT) is a fixed rate of pay for energy units exported to the grid, paid by the Government as an incentive to meet renewable energy targets. Solar Photovoltaics, or Solar PV as it is commonly known in the trade, is a technology which takes the energy in visible light and coverts it into useable Direct Current (DC) electricity. Panels are arranged into strings on property roofs and also in free standing arrays. They are connected into arrays, and their electricity is converted from DC to Alternating Current (AC) via an Inverter. Energy is measured in Kilowatt Hours (kWh) - a typical system will generate roughly double the amount of energy the building will need each day, ensuring the home owner can meet the return on investment that they expect - about 8% per annum. Commercial Buildings typically choose to offset a proportion of their energy use to meet standards. Newer buildings will require at least 10% of their energy to be generated via renewable methods. Photovoltaics have no moving parts, making it a good choice for renewable investment. Generally, all panels are given a manufacturer's warranty of 25 years, with a real working lifespan of up to and over 40 years. Photovoltaic Systems perform best when fitted south-facing, however the systems can perform well in any aspect from ESE to WSW, dependent upon location. Panels are angled to about 30 degrees, to ensure their yield is as high as possible. Panels should not be placed in an area that can be shaded for any part of the day. Because of the nature of wiring the cells together, each panel in the array can only perform as well as the worst performing. Any specialist's solar PV installers will know to locate panels in this manner, so it is important to get your system designed by a professional. If space is a limiting factor, there are methods of still gaining the highest yield of your roof via using higher efficiency panels. Sharp 185W are the chosen panels by many installation companies, however depending on the specific details and specification, alternatives can be offered. Panels come in different sizes and efficiencies; solar tiles are available for new build and re-roofing older buildings. These tiles sit amongst roof tiles, in a less obtrusive manner than retrofitting panels, however this is reflected in the price.
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