There are two basic ways you can harness the sun’s energy to cut your bills – solar photovoltaics and solar water heating. Both types are commonly referred to as “solar panels” but they each work in very different ways.

Solar Water Heating

Tubes or flat panels are mounted on your roof and use the sun’s energy to heat water which is then stored in a hot water cylinder for later use. In the summer a solar water heating system could be sufficient to provide you with all the hot water you need, but in winter (and on cloudy days) you will probably still need a regular immersion heater as a back-up.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, a typical system will set you back around £3,000 to £5,000 and offer only moderate savings. That makes solar water heating a better option for those looking to live more sustainably and reduce their carbon footprint, rather than save a lot of money.

You may, however, be able to qualify for the government’s Green Deal to help you pay for solar water heating. This is a scheme to let homeowners cut their carbon footprint by helping them find loans to cover some or all of the cost of installing energy saving technology. The homeowner makes repayments through a small charge added to their energy bill each month. This monthly charge should be roughly equivalent to the amount saved by the renewable technology, so this will tend to dictate the amount that can be borrowed.

Photovoltaics

Photovoltaics work by converting the sun’s energy directly into electricity. The photovoltaic cells used in most domestic installations are made up of layers of a semi-conducting material (usually silicon). When sunlight hits a cell, an electric charge is generated across the semi-conducting layers which can then be used to power your home. The stronger the sunlight, the more electricity produced.

The Energy Saving Trust reckon a typical domestic system will currently set you back between £6,000 and £7,400 and save you about £750 a year. So you could make your money back in as little as eight years whilst significantly reducing your carbon footprint.

Photovoltaics also qualify for the government’s Green Deal, with the larger savings meaning you can potentially borrow much more money than for solar water heating. You could also qualify for a scheme known as Feed-in Tariffs (FIT), where your energy supplier could end up paying you for the electricity you generate!

Metrotile offer a range of photovoltaic panels and photovoltaic roof tiles which could save you money and cut your carbon footprint! To find out more, take a look at the rest of our site, or call us today on 01249 658 514.