Solar Energy
We Are Pioneers In The World Of Solar & Renewable Energy!
We drive the transition to more sustainable, reliable & affordable energy systems. With our innovative technologies, we energize society, that’s our aim!
The increase in extreme weather events and rising sea levels are unmistakable signs of climate change. Roughly 850 million people still live without access to electricity, which is the foundation of sustainable development.
From initial design and planning, we can deliver installations and upgrades from design right through to hand over. Our multi-skilled teams are dynamic and get involved in different parts of each project, this approach improves knowledge within the team and makes everything run smoothly.
All our projects are carried out with our bespoke project management system which includes group chat communication, order processing and project management tools. This allows our office and site staff to be in immediate communication and process changes, orders and general progress instantly between managers and operatives.
Green Energy
Generate cheap, green electricity from sunlight
Solar panel electricity systems, also known as solar photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun's energy using photovoltaic cells. These cells don't need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting.
The benefits of solar electricity
Cut your electricity bills: sunlight is free, so once you've paid for the initial installation your electricity costs will be reduced.
Get paid for the electricity you generate: tariffs pay you for the electricity you generate when exporting that electricity back to the grid.
Sell electricity back to the grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you can't use it, you can sell the surplus back to the grid.
Cut your carbon footprint: solar electricity is green, renewables energy and doesn't release any harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants. A typical home solar PV system could save over a tonne of carbon dioxide per year – that's more than 30 tonnes over its lifetime.
Summary:
• Cut your electricity bills
• Reduce your carbon footprint
• Receive payments for extra energy you generate
Discover Independence Through Using The Power Of Solar Panels!
Maintenance
Solar Panels needs little maintenance – you'll just need to keep the panels relatively clean and make sure trees don't begin to overshadow them. In the UK panels that are tilted at 15° or more have the additional benefit of being cleaned by rainfall to ensure optimal performance. Debris {loose natural material consisting especially of broken pieces of rock} is more likely to accumulate if you have ground-mounted panels. If dust, debris, snow or bird droppings are a problem they should be removed with warm water and a brush or a high-pressure hose (or telescopic cleaning pole) if the panels are difficult to reach.
Commercial and Domestic Solar Panels
Solar panels have many benefits and are savings can be made on both domestic households and commercial properties. Solar PV panels can help both domestic households and commercial properties reduced their carbon footprint by reducing their reliance on fossil fuels, therefore, saving hundreds on electric bills every year.
As many commercial properties are utilised during the day, they are perfect for solar panels. The energy produced by the solar panels immediately reduce your reliance on electricity from the grid. Some of the key benefits of commercial solar panels include:
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Reduced electric bills
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Tax relief
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Additional income potential
Buy Solar Panels
At Integral Electric our highly trained engineers have extensive experience in the planning and installation of solar PV panels to ensure optimum performance and safety. Our team will keep you update throughout every part of the installation process while our aftersales customer support team will ensure your panels work seamlessly for years to come.
Our team have the latest equipment, technology, training, and certifications to ensure you receive the highest quality solar PV panels and installation on the market.
Solar PV Panel Installation
At first, we will have to call you and book an appointment for a free, non-binding assessment of your property. The phone call will take only a few minutes of your time, during which we will explain the solar PV installation process and answer any questions that you might have.
The assessment itself will take about an hour of your time, during which the assessor will ensure the property is suitable for having solar panels installed. This will involve measuring your roof etc. Our assessor will also go through your utility bills with you, calculating how much money would solar panels generate for your household in both savings and any available tariffs. We will then with your permission log onto the online portal and establish if panels can pay for themselves and benefit you.
If you are happy with the figures and would like to proceed, we will then look for a financial backer, willing to finance the system for you. The repayments may then be covered by the tariffs and subsequent savings gained from the Solar system. If the system just fails to self-fund you will have the option to make a small contribution if you still want solar fitted.
Green energy safe planet!
Solar Power and Battery Storage
Coupled with a battery (typically called a home energy-storage system), Solar PV panels can store the excess energy produced into a battery so you can use it another time. The excess energy stored in the battery can be used when you have higher demands for electric energy or when your solar PV system is not providing enough electric energy to power your household.
There are many types and sizes of energy-stored systems available, including brands such as Telsa Powerwall. Typically, energy-storage systems work best when they are storing the energy from the Solar PV panels during the day for use in the evenings or at night when you’d otherwise be paying for peak hours. Energy-storage systems can be retrospectively fitted to your existing solar PV system.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
There is no requirement on the number of solar panels you need to install in your home, however typically the more solar panels you install the more electricity you can generate and the more you will be able to save on your electric bills. Coupled with solar battery storage, you could save further money on your electric bills by storing excess energy for use whenever required.
The most common solar PV system size in the UK is a 3kW system comprising of 12 panels or a 4kW system compromising of 16 panels.
A solar PV panel consists of many cells made from layers of semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon. When light shines on this material, a flow of electricity is created.
The cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy days. However, the stronger the sunshine, the more electricity generated.
Solar PV systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. Typical systems contain around 15 panels and generate direct current (DC) electricity. Because the electricity used for household appliances is alternating current (AC), an inverter is installed along with the system to convert DC electricity to AC. This electricity can be used throughout your home, or exported to the grid.
Space is a key consideration. The average system size is around 4.2kWp and this will typically take up around 25m2 roof area.
An unshaded, South facing roof is ideal for maximum electrical output. East or West facing roofs could still be considered, but North facing roofs are not recommended. A system facing East or West will yield around 15-20% less energy than one facing directly South.
Shaded roofs
Any nearby buildings, trees or chimneys could shade your roof and have a negative impact on the performance of your system.
Finding an unshaded spot is best, however sometimes shading is unavoidable. Some solar PV systems can minimise the impact of shading using ‘optimisers’. If you don’t have shading, the use of optimisers is not necessary or beneficial, other than the increased monitoring opportunities they offer – they won’t generate more energy.
As your solar PV system will be working at its peak during daylight hours, it’s a good idea to run your electrical appliances such as your washing machine, dishwasher, and iron during the day. If you’re at home, then this may be easier to do, but if you are away during the day, you could try setting timers for your dishwasher and washing machine.
You can combine solar PV with other renewable technologies such as heat pumps or solar hot water systems. These technologies work well with each other, as solar PV could help power a heat pump, for example, or several of these systems could feed into a thermal store.
PV diverters are a low-cost and low maintenance option for increasing your own consumption of solar electricity (ie using the electricity generated by your own solar PV panels).
Most of the time your solar PV system either:
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Isn’t generating enough energy for your household’s demand, and is supplemented by importing electricity from the grid, or
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Is generating excess electricity above your demand and exporting that electricity back to the grid.
Instead of sending surplus electricity to the grid, a PV diverter switch can power the immersion heater in your hot water tank, storing hot water for you to use later. On its own, excess solar energy is unlikely to meet all your hot water needs, but it can help reduce your bills.
A PV diverter switch installation could add around 1000 euro to your installation costs.
If you’re interested in using PV diverter, speak with your installer. They might also suggest increasing the number of panels on your roof to provide more electricity for your hot water needs.
You could also export the excess electricity to the grid and consider applying for export payments via a Smart Export Guarantee.
Other options for renewable hot water include solar water heating, or fitting a whole-house heating system such as a heat pump or biomass boiler.
