Solar PV

Experienced Solar PV Design & Installation

We’ve been installing solar PV since 2010 and have been trusted installers on some amazing projects.

Introduction to Solar PV

SOLAR PV TURNS THE ENERGY FROM THE SUN INTO USEFUL ENERGY WHICH CAN BE USED OR STORED AS ELECTRICITY.

Solar panels can be installed on roofs, in fields and gardens and even on water making them versatile and adaptable. Suited to both domestic and commercial scale installations, it has been rapidly deployed in the UK and now supported by the governments Smart Export Guarantee (SEG).

The Greener Group have installed hundreds of solar PV systems throughout the UK for a range of clients including domestic, farming, manufacturing, utilities, council, architect, schools to name a few of the sectors we operate in. We are experienced in Solar pv design and installation and can tailor a system based on your requirements.

The Basics of Solar PV

A PV system works by converting the sun’s energy into electricity, which can then be distributed throughout a chosen building to reduce the amount of electricity imported from the National Grid.

During the day whilst PV systems are actively generating, often the use of appliances are free of charge, which can significantly reduce energy bills for busy homes and businesses.

How much energy you generate will depend upon the size of the system you install, which can be determined by the roof/ground space available and the capacity of the local grid.

Here at The Greener Group, we have an increasing portfolio of happy customers who have taken the first steps into reducing their energy costs.

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SolarEdge – The World’s #1 Home Solar Energy System

We have been working with and installing SolarEdge systems for a number of years now to provide our customers with the very best that solar has to offer.

SolarEdge systems deliver more of what you buy a solar energy system for – power. Each solar panel on your roof is connected to a SolarEdge Power Optimizer, which transforms it into a smart module.

Working together with high efficiency inverters, they harvest the maximum amount of energy possible, regardless of shading, soiling, and other factors to provide your home with more electricity over the system’s lifetime.

Want to learn more? Get in touch today.

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Solar PV Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding how a PV system works, how it can benefit your property and how it pays for itself over the years can sometimes be perplexing. Don’t fear we’re here to help! The FAQ section below should help answer some of those questions.

If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for please contact one of the team who would be happy to help.

Solar PV

A solar PV system works by converting the sun’s energy into electricity. This electricity is then used to
supply a building or sent to the grid for use elsewhere.

A solar PV system will reduce the amount of imported electricity a property requires, in turn reducing
costs.

Is Solar PV suitable for any property?

Simply put, yes! From small 2 panel residential solar systems to large commercial sites, solar PV is
available to everyone. There is still a government feed in tariff available for systems of all sizes and
costs have dropped considerably over the last few years.

With electricity prices rising every few months solar PV makes more and more sense as a cost saving measure
for home or business.

Why install Solar PV?

Installing a solar PV system not only reduces your electricity costs by providing free, green electricity; it
also provides you with a great, safe return on investment (ROI) over the next 20 years through energy savings and export payments.

How much electricity will I generate?

How much energy you generate will depend upon the size of the system you install, which can be determined by the
roof/ground space available and the capacity of the local grid. Here at The Greener Group, we have an increasing
portfolio of happy customers who have taken the first steps into reducing their energy costs.

How much will a solar installation cost?

In terms of the initial outlay required for solar PV system installations, The Greener Group currently offer a
number of financial and funding packages, designed for renewables – which can help you achieve your green objective.

When will I see a return on my investment?

The payback period for solar PV systems varies depending on the number of solar panels installed and the amount
of electricity used by the property during the day. However our averages show that payback periods can be
between 5 – 8 years. After this payback period, system owners can be expected to see a profit, with the export tariff helping towards this.

Where does a Solar PV System work best?

A solar PV system works best where the panels receive the most amount of sun. So a large South facing roof is
ideal. The less obstructions (trees or other buildings) between the panels and the sun the better. However East
and West systems still produce a good yield benefiting from the morning and evening sun. The further South a
system is located the more sunlight it will receive. The UK has fairly consistent level of sunlight so we can
predict likely PV generation with a good degree of confidence, where it is located!

Are they easy to maintain and how long do they last?

Solar PV systems are designed to last for over 20 years. The panels come with 20 year performance warranties.
With no moving parts a PV system is easy to maintain. An annual or bi-annual service, clean and health check is
recommended.

Will I receive a grant?

Some local authorities may be offering grants however the main method of financial support is through the Feed
In Tariff.

What is the Feed in Tariff?*

The FIT was a government backed incentive scheme, which pays the system owner (individual or business) for every
unit of electricity generated whether it’s used within the building or exported to the grid. Not only are you
paid a certain tariff for your generation as a total, but half of this figure is paid at an additional tariff,
as deemed export (systems under 30kW). You can find up to date information on the current tariffs by visiting
the Ofgem website.

*The Feed-in Tariff has now ended. If you’d like to learn about the financial benefits of battery storage, please get in touch.*

Choosing the right solar panel

There are literally hundreds of solar panel manufacturers out there. Over the years we have installed a number of different types, and continue to do so. As the PV market changes, one manufacturer becomes preferential over another. It could be due to price, technology or government policy.

However, whatever the flavour of the month is, we rigidly stick to some key principles to offer great products and competitive prices.

The Greener Group’s PV Panel Selection Principles

MCS Accredited PV Panels The first criteria for even considering whether to supply a PV panel is to check that it is MCS accredited. MCS approval means that the panels have been subjected to a number of rigorous tests and have met a certain standard. The quality of the MCS accreditation process gives us confidence in the manufacturer and their product.

25 Year Performance Guarantee We understand that installing a PV system is a long term investment. We only offer PV panels to our clients that have at least a 25 year performance guarantee with a maximum degradation of 1% per year. In most cases the panels we install go beyond this.

10 Year Product Warranty Occasionally things can break or fail, and sometimes it can’t be helped. What clients need if that does happen is to be confident that a failed panel is going to be replaced. We only work with manufacturers that offer 10 year product warranty’s.

Insurance Backed Warranty The manufacturers of solar panels that we supply are all major players in the market and are bankable. However we know that the worst can happen with any company. For that reason we select manufacturers that have insurance against their warranties in case they were to go ‘pop’.

Which manufacturers do we currently install?

Manufacturers we are currently installing include JA Solar, Jinko, Axitec, LG and Panasonic.

In that selection is a range of Poly-crystalline and Mono-Crystalline, budget to premium. If you would like more info on the panels we install please contact us!

Its all about the inverter…

Inverters are the brains of the solar PV installation. They carry out the clever work of changing the DC current produced by the solar panels into AC current which can be used in a property or exported to the grid. The solar panels are directly connected to the inveter via DC cable. The inverter is connected directly to the grid via AC cable. It’s that simple!

Selecting an inverter

A solar PV inverter needs to be selected based on the size of the solar system it is operating in. The peak power of the solar systems should match the output of the inverter.

There are many inverter manufacturers in the market all offering a product which does the same thing. In our opinion there are two types of inverter: SolarEdge and not SolarEdge. A ‘not SolarEdge’ inverter is a traditional type where the PV panels on the roof link in series and feed down to the inverter.

The technology being used inside inverters is developing rapidly and features and flexibility are increasing all the time.

Battery storage is coming (actually it’s here!)

Over the years, we’ve seen many technical advances in solar technology for domestic and commercial applications; including high wattage panels, optimisation for split arrays and online monitoring.

Now its time for battery storage to take centre stage.

With battery storage set to be the next growth market in the renewable energy sector, every manufacturer worth its salt wants to get in on the act. Companies from the automotive and tech sectors are battling it out gain market share.

Who will win remains to be seen, but what it does mean is that there is a lot of competition and lots of choices. Having worked with a number of manufacturers, we have a couple of favourites and like any product range there are a number of options and price brackets.

For more battery info please have a look at our Battery Storage page.

Insurance Backed Workmanship Warranty

The Greener Group strives to provide a high quality and reliable installation, regardless of the size of project. To back this up we offer a two year workmanship guarantee.

To give our clients total peace of mind all our installations are backed by a third party warranty. Should the worst happen to The Greener Group and we go out of business, GDGC will honour the workmanship warranty

The Workmanship Guarantee Scheme has been designed to provide domestic consumers with insurance protection in the event an Installer ceases to trade and therefore is unable to honour their outstanding workmanship obligations. The protection comes in the form of an Insurance Backed Guarantee Policy. This service is offered to domestic installations up to a maximum of £50,000.

Deposit Protection

Installers that are part of the scheme may also have the facility to be able to protect a Deposit payment that has been paid to the Installer with insurance protection for a period of up to 60 days. The Deposit Protection is capped at a maximum of 25% of the contract value, up to a maximum Deposit amount of £5,000.

Product Warranties

Each product or technology we install comes with its own product warranty. This varies from product to product and can often be extended where required.

For more information on any aspect of the warranties The Greener Group or any of our suppliers offer please contact us.

GET A SOLAR PV HEALTH CHECK AND SERVICE TO MAKE SURE YOUR SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY

To ensure your solar panels are working as efficiently as possible, it is important to keep up to date on your servicing and maintenance. We recommend that you book in for a service and health check every 12 months and can tailor our packages to suit your needs.

What do Solar PV service packages include?

Our competent engineers will check through key elements that can affect the performance of your solar panels, including but not limited to:

      • Check panels are free of dirt and debris
      • Inspect all mounting systems and fixings, ensuring they are safely secured
      • Check for shading issues since the installation
      • Check DC cables are secure
      • Check that modules are free from dirt/leaves, bird droppings etc
      • Check the roof integrity
      • Test of current devices to ensure they are in good working order
      • Inspect electrical connections for corrosion and ensure they are secure
      • Check enclosures are secure and IP rating is maintained
      • Check the earthing system is intact and up to standard
      • Check and record AC and DC Voltage
      • Check and record current
      • Check and record irradiance
      • Ensure the insulation of live parts is undamaged
      • Inspect inverters and the generation meter, and check readings
      • Produce servicing and performance certificate

If any faults are found, we are happy to deal with manufacturers direct to claim back against your warranty (if applicable) and get new components fitted as soon as possible, ensuring you don’t miss out on your generation.

The Greener Group are experienced in the design, installation and maintenance of solar photovoltaic arrays. We are happy to provide a servicing package if we didn’t originally install the system. Don’t leave it until the last minute, arrange your service today…

Contact us using the form below.

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