Things to Check Before Getting Solar Panels

As solar panels become more affordable through mass production and technological advancements more and more private properties are getting solar photovoltics in order to reduce their energy cost.  The 5 year outlook for energy prices expected to rise a further 30%, solar energy could become much more beneficial than it previously. Below are some things to check before getting Solar panels.

 First of all you should check whether your property is ideal for solar energy, you would think that this was very obvious but you would be surprised how many people do not really check if their property is ideal for solar energy or any other alternative energy sources. The Ideal property will have a large section of roof that is south facing.  The roof should be at least 5m by 5m in size and should not be shaded by other properties or trees. Using newer units it may be possible to install solar panels on a east or west facing roof, though the total power output will be reduced.

 One other important factor people do not normally check is the regulation of the local planning department. Please always check with local planning department, council or authorities before contacting a solar panel provider. There are many different regulations that can affect the size, shape and style of the solar PV you can use on your roof. Some of the common issues are with grade listed buildings or buildings with historical significance. These properties are normally very difficult to get planning permission to change the exterior of the building. There are new designs that aim to integrate solar panels into a building façade to get around some local councils building regulations.

 After all of that is done, most of the hard work is complete. The next part is to research some solar energy providers and potentially get quotes. In order to assess the quality of any solar panel providers they should have some previous customer you can contact and possibly go to check out the installation for yourself. When you have decided a price and timescale for the installation never pay for the work in advance and make sure that you are happy with the end product before completing the payments. Another good tip is to get the solar panel company to estimate the electricity production before the installation and check it after the installation. Normally an estimation of the electric production should be a conservative estimate or the max production please ask to confirm.

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For any further details on Solar Panels in Mid Wales or any other alternative energy solutions, please visit http://www.wdsgreenenergy.co.uk