Solar PV
Solar photovoltaic cells (Solar PV) known as pv solar
panels which produce electricity from daylight through a process
called photovoltaic streaming. "Photo" refers to light and
"voltaic" to electricity
How does solar PV work?
PV cells are panels you can attach to your roof or walls. Each
cell is made from one or two layers of semiconducting material,
usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an
electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the
more electricity is produced.
PV cells come in a variety of shapes and colours, from grey
"solar tiles" that look like roof tiles to panels and transparent
cells that you can use on conservatories and glass.
The strength of a PV cell is measured in kilowatt peak (kWp).
That's the amount of energy the cell generates in full
sunlight.
The benefits of solar electricity
Cut your carbon footprint: solar electricity is
green, renewables energy and doesn't release any harmful carbon
dioxide (CO2) or other pollutants. A typical home PV system could
save around 1200 kg of CO2 per year - that's around 30 tonnes over
its lifetime.
Cut your electricity bills: sunlight is free,
so once you've paid for the initial installation your electricity
costs will be greatly reduced. A typical home PV system can produce
around 40% of the electricity a household uses in a year.
Sell electricity back to the
Grid: if your system is producing more electricity than
you need, or when you can't use it, someone else can use it - and
you could make a bit of money.
Buyers guide to solar PV
(1350KB, 7 pages)
Frequently asked questions about solar PV
(24KB, 4 pages)
Feed In Tariff (FIT)
If you are eligible to receive the FIT then you will benefit in
3 ways:
Generation tariff – a set rate paid by the
energy supplier for each unit (or kWh) of electricity you generate.
This rate will change each year for new entrants to the scheme
(except for the first 2 years), but once you join you will continue
on the same tariff for 20 years, or 25 years in the case of solar
electricity (PV).
Export tariff - you will receive a further
3p/kWh from your energy supplier for each unit you export back to
the electricity grid, that is when it isn’t used on site. The
export rate is the same for all technologies.
Energy bill savings – you will be making savings on your
electricity bills , because generating electricity to power your
appliances means you don’t have to buy as much electricity from
your energy supplier. The amount you save will vary depending how
much of the electricity you use on site.
The scheme covers the following electricity-generating
technologies, up to 5 Mega Watts:
- Solar electricity (PV) (roof mounted or stand alone)
- Wind turbine (building mounted or free
standing)
- Hydroelectricity
- Anaerobic digestion
- Micro combined heat and power (mCHP) (limited
to a pilot at this stage)
Frequently asked questions on Feed In Tariffs
(390KB, 14 pages)
| Type of technology |
Size |
Current Tariff level (p/kWh) till
March 2012 |
New Tariff as of March 2012 |
| Solar electricity (PV) |
≤4 kW (retro fit) |
41.3 |
21.0 |
| Solar electricity (PV) |
≤4 kW (new build) |
36.1 |
21.0 |
| Solar electricity (PV) |
>4 - 10 kW |
37.8 |
16.8 |
| Solar electricty (PV) |
>10- 50 kW |
32.9 |
15.2 |
| Wind |
≤1.5 kW |
35.9 |
21.0 |
| Wind |
>1.5 - 15 kW |
28.1 |
21.0 |
| Micro CHP |
≤2kW |
11.0 |
12.0 |
| Hydroelectricity |
≤15 kW |
19.9 |
21.0 |
Tariff levels vary depending on the scale of the installation
and the tarriff rate at time of installation. It is
expected that the rates will decrease each year for new
entrants into the scheme. All generation and export tariffs will be
linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) which ensures that each year
they follow the rate of inflation. For more information visit the
Energy Saving Trust website.
Important solar PV update
The UK Government appeal against a High Court decision- ruling
that the Solar PV FITs Fast Track review was unlawful in January
2012- was unsuccessful. However, this is not the end of the matter
as the UK Government is currently seeking permission to appeal the
decision to the Supreme Court. In light of this they cannot rule
out the possibility that lower tariffs (21p) could be applied to
solar PV installations which became eligible for FITs on or after
the proposed reference date of 12 Dec 2011. As such there is still
uncertainty over which tariffs householders will get if their
eligibility date is on or between 12 Dec 2011 and 2 March 2012.
Key advice for householders
Regardless of what some installers may tell householders there
is no guarantee that householders will get the
higher (43.3p/kWh) rate if their eligibility date is on or between
12 Dec 2011 and 2 March 2012. Customers who install on the
assumption of the higher rate do so at their own risk.
The actual tariff applied to installations with an eligibility
date of on or between 12 Dec 2011 and 2 March 2012 won’t be
confirmed until the legal process has been completed. The
UK Government had 28 days from the judgment to lodge an appeal with
the Supreme Court.
UK Government have confirmed that should they win their appeal
then the FIT rate they finally decide upon will NOT be lower than
21p/kWh.
Householders should therefore plan on the basis that at
the very least they will get 21p/kWh
Householders with an eligibility date of 3 March 2012 until the
date of the next tariff change (under consultation) will get
21p/kWh though for installations with an eligibility date
of 1 April 2012 onwards there is a condition for energy saving
measures
Solar PV installations with an eligibility date of 1
April onwards will only get the 21p/kWh if they provide evidence
that the property meets EPC Band D level or better. If
this evidence is not provided then the applicable tariff is
9p/kWh.
Please note tariffs might be changed again come July –
consultation 2A just opened on options. Comments due by
3rd April.
There is also to be a review of the rates
for other renewables (CHP, renewables, AD and wind) –
consultation 2B closes 26th April.
Ive been offered solar PV for free should I take it?
With the introduction of Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) there are a
number of organisations offering customers free solar PV
panels. Typically, the company installing the
solar PV panels will receive the income from the generation and
export tariffs for the site, while the customer will benefit from
reduced energy bills through the electricity generated on the
site.
Consumer guidance on free solar solar PV offers.