Solar 101: It does what it says on the tin
We’ve been installing commercial solar PV systems for nearly 15 years, making us one of the most experienced solar PV system designers and installers in the UK. What have we learnt in this time? We’ve learnt that a well-designed and installed solar PV system is a stable and predictable technology that delivers the total annual electricity it is projected to and does so at significantly lower cost than buying from the grid (4-5p/unit versus 20-25p/unit).
Why is solar PV so cost effective?
Businesses in the UK suffer from much higher electricity pricing compared to peers around the globe. In fact, electricity is around 50% more expensive here than in Germany and France and four times as expensive as the US. The equivalent cost of the electricity produced by solar PV is around 4-5p/kWh, compared to the typical UK daytime grid rate of 20-25p/kWh. Solar panel prices are currently at an all time low due to market oversupply (although current indications are that pricing is set to rise in 2025), the technology is well established, there are no moving parts and therefore maintenance costs relative to other generation technologies are low. The low cost of solar PV panels coupled with the high cost of buying electricity from the UK grid make solar PV an incredibly cost-effective investment that typically pays for itself in 3-5 years before any potential capital allowance benefit is considered.
How can we make accurate projections given the variability of our weather?
Solar PV’s purpose is to generate low-cost clean electricity; as part of the design process we use independent software that takes into account a significant number of variables e.g. including roof pitch, orientation, panel type and the local weather to calculate the expected volume (in kWh) of annual electricity generation. In our experience these projections have typically been accurate to within a couple of percentage points, which given the number of variables is an achievement in itself.
One of largest and most unpredictable variables that the modelling software has to deal with is the UK weather. It does this by utilising 10+ years of local historic weather data. Our customers have found the predictions to hold true, with their well-designed Mypower solar PV systems doing ‘what it says on the tin’.
Sustained adverse weather can have an impact on the accuracy of predicted generation levels, such as that we saw in 2023 (the 11th wettest year since records began in 1836), however, as we look at total generation across a whole year the impact is typically minimal. Ironically, one of the root causes of this adverse weather is the fossil fuel emissions that continue to be pumped into our atmosphere for electricity generation, something that solar PV is aiming to eradicate.
To receive a bespoke calculation of what solar PV can tangibly do for your business to tackle climate change, and how much it could save compared to buying electricity from the grid, please contact us.