Go Green Solar Group Ltd

The Sun’s Energy

The sun, a burning ball of gas, generates enormous energy. The sun produces light and heat that radiates into space through nuclear fusion. This energy travels from the sun to Earth through solar radiation, taking approximately eight minutes to complete the journey.

It sustains life on our planet, providing warmth and nourishment to plants through photosynthesis and serving as the primary driver of weather patterns.

Solar radiation is abundant and essentially limitless. It radiates into space in all directions, and only a small fraction reaches the Earth’s surface. However, this fraction is still more than enough to meet the world’s energy needs.

Solar Panels: How They Work

Solar panels are the primary tool in harnessing solar energy. These panels comprise photovoltaic cells that capture and convert sunlight into usable electricity. When sunlight hits a solar panel, each photovoltaic cell absorbs some of the light and converts it into a direct (DC) electrical current. The electrical current is then collected by metal conductive plates embedded in the solar panel.

The DC that the solar panels produce is unsuitable for households or businesses. To make this current usable, it must be converted to alternating current (AC) using an inverter. The AC is then sent to the electrical grid or a battery storage unit for later use.

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Utilising and Storing the Energy

Converted solar energy has various applications and uses. It can power multiple electrical devices, from home lighting fixtures to factory machinery. Excess energy generated can be fed back into the power grid, allowing homeowners to earn credits or payments from local utility companies.

To enhance the versatility of solar energy, energy storage options are available. This allows users to store surplus energy produced during the day and use it during periods of low solar production or at night. Energy storage systems such as lithium-ion batteries and flow batteries are commonly used for this purpose.

Our team at Go Green Solar offers a FREE, no-obligation feasibility assessment to check your compatibility with our systems if you’re not sure your home is appropriate for solar panels. We also provide technical and useful assistance, such as a Technical Survey that calculates the free space on your roof.

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Benefits of Going Solar for Businesses

As a business owner, you must understand the importance of wise investments. With solar power, you not only secure a reliable energy source but also unlock many benefits for your business; let’s take a look:

• Cost-effectiveness. Solar power provides long-term cost savings by reducing reliance on traditional energy sources. Investing in solar panels means generating your own clean and renewable energy, substantially reducing your electricity bills. Solar panels break even faster than you may think.
• Lower carbon footprint. By utilising solar energy, you can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Solar power produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, helping to combat climate change and promote environmental sustainability.
• Brand image enhancement. Embracing solar power demonstrates your commitment to corporate social responsibility and sets you apart as a sustainable business. Customers and stakeholders value environmentally conscious companies, and going solar can improve your brand image and attract a larger customer base.

No matter the size of your business, whether it’s a small startup or a large corporation, implementing our commercial solar panels into your sustainability strategy is a great way to invest in your future.

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Going Solar with Go Green Solar Group

Embarking on a solar energy journey with Go Green Solar Group is a simple and straightforward process. Here’s an overview of the steps involved:

• Consultation. We begin by scheduling a consultation where our team takes the time to understand your business’s unique goals and energy requirements. We conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine the feasibility of solar installation and provide an initial cost estimate.
• Design and Proposal. Based on the findings from the consultation, our experts design a customised solar system specifically tailored to meet your business’s energy needs. We provide a detailed proposal outlining the system design, expected performance, financial projections, and available financing options.
• Installation. Upon acceptance of the proposal, our skilled installation team will proceed with the installation process. We work efficiently and ensure minimal disruptions to your operations, completing the installation within the agreed-upon timeframe.
• Aftercare and Monitoring. Once your solar system is up and running, our aftercare team monitors its performance to guarantee optimal efficiency. We proactively address any performance issues or maintenance requirements to ensure your solar system operates at its full potential.

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The Cost Effectiveness of Solar Panel Systems

While it would be great just to write a single number here – 4 years or 8 – it’s not quite as simple as that.

There are a lot of factors that go into how quickly it pays off. One of the most obvious is how much it cost. If you qualify for solar panel funding, your own investment goes down. That’s going to mean a quicker payoff.

Another is how far north or south you are in the UK.

It’s a common misconception that solar panels are only effective at peak summertime – if you’re getting daylight, you’re generating power – but the further north you go, the shorter the hours of daylight. (You can measure this for yourself in the autumn – spend a night in Carlisle and the next night in Bristol and check when the sun goes down on each day).

On the other hand, the Scandinavians get value from solar panels installed further north than John O’Groats!

The third big factor is how many panels you’ve installed and how efficient they are. At Go Green Solar Group, we make it our mission to install high-quality solar PV panels in all our projects. You can rely on their quality and efficiency, but a bigger building with 20-30 panels will generate much more energy than a residential property with 6-12.

On the other hand, that same building probably uses a lot more. Many residential properties generate more power during daylight hours than they use in the same time. (This is especially true if you’re not working from home.)

That power can be stored in battery storage, but if your system and energy tariff are SEG (Smart Export Guarantee) compliant, you can sell that surplus energy back to the grid. You’ll be paid for every kilowatt-hour (kWh) you generate, at a rate determined by your tariff.

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Calculating on Solar Panel Return on Investment

The Energy Saving Trust estimates the average rate of SEG return at about 15p per kWh, but the high is more than double that. Based on that estimate, they anticipate a typical home in the UK with solar panels earning £270 to £400 per year on energy sent back to the grid. That’s before you take into account the reduction in your bill due to using your own solar energy.

Currently they estimate around £575 a year return on investment for that average residential home. If the Energy Price Cap rises, that ROI will rise with them, speeding up the point you break even against not having installed panels.

If you’re working from home (and taking advantage of that to do your laundry during the day), your savings will be better than the average; if you’ve got more solar panels than the average, likewise. A battery system also allows you to really make the most of your installation, although it will need to be factored into your installation costs. Batteries allow you to force charge from the grid on a lower rate electricity cost; most suppliers charge between 0.08p per kWh between the hours of 2AM and 5AM. This helps support solar energy users during the winter months.

A typical home breaks even between 5 and 9 years, after which your solar panels will provide virtually free, zero-carbon electricity and a steady return through the SEG.

But what about a business?

Obviously the variables for this are much wider. The more panels you install, the less power you’ll need to draw from the grid; sloping roofs recoup more energy than flat roofs (to say nothing of having to work around any skylights), and the amount of energy that a factory or a refrigerated warehouse needs is obviously much higher than many other businesses.

On the other hand, the more panels you install, the greater the cost you have to pay off.

So with all of those variables in mind, we can say that studies show commercial solar panels break even, on average, in around four years. With the same 25-year panel lifespan, that gives you 21 years of zero-carbon electricity. More complex installations will take longer, but economies of scale mean they still break even faster than residential systems, with almost all systems paid off within 2.5 years to 5 years.

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Solar Panel Building Regulations

As a legal requirement, solar panel installations must pass standard building regulations for the property (Part A and Part P). Your roof must be able to support additional weight, and the electricals must be safe.

If you use an installer, they should be a member of an approved Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS).

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What Does Require Planning Permission?

There are some circumstances where planning permission is required. This includes:

Non-Compliant Installations

If you want to install solar panels that don’t meet the criteria for the above, you will need planning permission.

Designated Areas

If your property is in a conservation area or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, restrictions will apply. There have been some relaxations, but it is recommended you check with your local authority.

Solar panels must not be installed in a location that is visible from any public highway.

Flat Roofs

Solar PV panels can be installed on a flat roof. However, they must be angled to capture the sunlight. This easily exceeds the 200mm maximum, so flat roofs have a limit of 600mm.

Listed Buildings

A listed building is a structure that has been declared to be of historical or architectural importance. If you live in a listed building, you will need to apply for consent to install solar panels.

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Is My Roof Ready to Mount Solar Panels?

While they’re not as heavy as they used to be, solar panels are still sizeable. Panels covering a 3 metre by 3 metre area way around 180kg, and it only goes up from there. When we design and install solar panel systems on older buildings, the structural integrity of the roof they’re to be mounted on is one of the first things we check.

Of course, the more panels you have in place, the more energy you would generate. A smaller home, in particular, might not need much coverage to see a real difference in their energy bills.

Another thing to consider is the pitch the panels will be mounted at. Ideally, your roof would be angled somewhere between 35 and 40 degrees, though the effective window is something more like 10-60. Panels on flat roofs are often set onto angled mounts to get more energy out of the sun.

The best aspect for solar panels faces south, but east-facing and west-facing roofs are still valuable. North-facing roofs, however, catch very little direct sunlight, and we’d only recommend using a north facing roof under very specific circumstances.

And, of course, it goes without saying that if your roof is mostly shaded by taller buildings, high trees or geographic features, you may not get great value out of the system.

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The Lifespan of a Solar Power System

In test conditions, all things being equal, solar panels will last for around 25-30 years. Somewhere in that last five you’ll see efficiency starts to drop faster, so you get less and less output over time, and after thirty years the rate of degradation increases.

Reputable manufacturers – like those we use – will provide 25-year production warranties, promising a minimum of 80% efficiency in that timespan (given correct maintenance). These manufacturers are making higher-quality panels which have a longer useful life expectancy.

Of course, your solar system won’t be installed in test conditions. Studies have shown that hotter and more humid locations see increased rates of degradation.

Happily for our customers, the UK is not a high-humidity country in comparison to many, and even for rain (as much as we have a reputation for it) we’re drier than large parts of Europe. In fact, only two British cities rank on the list of Europe’s rainiest, with Glasgow coming in fourth and Leeds sixth.

The other thing to remember about the lifespan of solar power systems is that it’s not just the panels. Systems using string inverters will need to replace their inverter after 10-15 years. Microinverters last 20-25 years. As technology continues to advance, we’d expect new inverter systems to be an option by the time you replace your microinverter.

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Low Maintenance Cost

One of the main benefits of solar panels is the low maintenance cost. Commercial solar systems require minimal upkeep and come with long warranties.

Once you have covered the initial cost, you can expect very little spending on maintaining your solar panels.

Energy Independence

Having your own solar panels promotes energy independence. By generating your own power, your business becomes less reliant on the power grid. This is valuable when the grid electricity is disrupted.

With solar energy, your business has a reliable and consistent power supply. This ensures operational efficiency and reduces downtime.

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Financial Savings & Long-Term ROI

While the initial cost of solar panels may seem significant, the long-term financial savings are substantial. Solar panel systems typically pay for themselves within 5-7 years, depending on energy consumption.

Financial sustainability provides your business with a competitive advantage. Additionally, your financial security ensures you will not face unexpected price rises.

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Sustainability Can Be Profitable

While installing an industrial or commercial solar power system does entail a significant investment, once it’s up and running it actually reduces your ongoing costs. In the UK, a typical business’ solar panel installation will earn back the cost of its investment in four years. However, the life expectancy of the solar panels that make up the bulk of the system is nearer to thirty years – so you benefit from significantly reduced electrical overhead for over two decades.

Some larger companies even build up a surplus of energy over the daylight hours, giving them the chance to sell back to the grid, supporting not just your business but everyone using power locally.

This is a huge proof of the social responsibility of your business and something you can genuinely be proud about. The money saved can be used to help manage costs passed on to your customers or to finance other CSR projects as appropriate.

There are significant benefits to be had from this. An IBM study confirms that for seven employees out of every ten, working for a company with corporate sustainability policies is a priority, making it easier for companies with active CSR initiatives to recruit and retain the best talent.

The same survey confirmed that for the majority of investors, CSR policies are a positive factor.

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Residential vs. Commercial

To touch on the most important question first, almost all VAT reductions are residential. The exception is that business energy grants are not subject to VAT, so if you can secure a grant for your business you will not pay VAT on the project.

However, for residential projects the VAT rate for a set list of energy saving materials (ESMs) is 0%, and will be until March 2027 (unless extended further). Solar PV systems are included on that list, which means that in Great Britain, supply and installation of PV systems is subject to 0% VAT.