Before deciding on your solar PV system, here are five things that every customer should know.
1. Efficiency
There are many companies, from small businesses to the large supermarket chains offering solar PV installations. Do your research - many cheap systems look good and promise the earth but are built using cheap solar panels. These are not as efficient and will cost you money in the long term by not returning on your original investment.
2. Buy the Best Panel You Can
With all the different panels being offered today, it can be a minefield deciding which to buy. Monocrystalline may look cheap and reasonably efficient but by buying the best panel you can afford, the returns will be greater in the future. Take a look at our information about solar panels.
3. Don't Skimp on the Inverter
In many ways, the solar PV inverter is the most important part of the solar PV system. Using a cheap inverter could cost you in performance, even if you are have an expensive solar panel array. Make sure that the system you are installing or being offered has both a leading brand of solar panel, a top-quality inverter AND that they are compatible with each other.
4. Bad Design Will Cost You
The amount you are paid from the feed-in tariff is by what is recorded on your generation meter, not by using the theoretical efficiency of the solar panel array. If the system is not as efficient as possible in terms of design then you will get electrical losses and therefore a drop in income. If the system is designed correctly then these losses will be minimised.
5. Solar PV Must Be Made-T-Measure
Every building is different and every solar PV system must be designed specifically for that building. Many cheaper installations use the same design regardless of the building which will result in efficiency losses. Make sure your installers know what they are doing and have designed your system for YOU.