Is Solar PV suitable for you?
Is Solar Electricity Suitable For Your Building?
To assess if solar electricity is right for you, there are a few key questions to consider:
- Do you have a suitable place to put it? You'll need a roof or wall that faces within 90 degrees of south, and isn't overshadowed by trees or buildings.If the surface is in shadow for parts of the day, your system will generate less energy.
- Is your roof strong enough? Solar panels are not light and the roof must be strong enough to take their weight, especially if the panel is placed on top of existing tiles. If in doubt, Metartec’s MCS approved installers will be able to advise you if the roof will need strengthening before the solar PV system is installed.
- Do you need planning permission? As Metartec complete only Commercial or Industrial Installations planning is normally taken care of by the Architect/Builder. Metartec can complete the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) Application with a letter of authorisation.
The following are the most Ideal Conditions for Generating Solar Energy:
- The total amount of electricity the system actually generate in as year will depend on the system’s orientation, shading and how sunny your site is, as well as the size of the system (in kWp) that you have installed.
- Your roof should ideally face due south at a pitched angle of between 30° and 50° from the horizontal to give the best overall annual performance. Installations facing anywhere to the south of due east and due west are feasible, although output will be reduced. Installation is not recommended on roofs facing north.
- Solar electricity doesn’t necessarily require direct sunlight and can still generate electricity on cloudy days. You will generate approximately 1/3 of the energy on a cloudy day as on a sunny day at the same time of year.
- A system can tolerate some shading early or late in the day without much reduction of overall output but it should not be shaded between 10am and 4pm.
