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FAQs
How does solar PV work?
A solar PV (photovoltaic) system generates electricity from sunlight by converting the energy from the sun's rays into usable electrical power. This is how it works: Solar Panels: The system consists of solar panels that are installed on the roof of the house/building. These panels are made up of multiple photovoltaic cells that are designed to absorb sunlight and convert it into electrical power. Inverter: The electrical power generated by the solar panels is in DC (direct current) form, which is not suitable for use in the home. Therefore, an inverter is installed to convert DC to AC (alternating current) electricity, which is what your standard home/business uses. The inverter pushes this AC electricity into your consumer board (fuse board) to use directly around the home. If the solar PV system is generating more electricity than is being used at that moment then the excess can be used to charge batteries, heat water, or charge an electric vehicle using a diverter. (e.g eddi divertor) Batteries for storage are an optional addition to a PV system as are hot water heaters. Electrical Grid: In Ireland, most home solar PV systems are connected to the electrical grid, which allows excess electricity to be exported to the grid and used by other consumers. When the solar panels are not generating enough power, electricity is imported from the grid to power household appliances. Monitoring System: A monitoring system is typically included in a home solar PV system to track the amount of energy generated and used, as well as battery storage levels (if applicable).
Is Ireland's climate suitable for solar PV systems?
Surprisingly Ireland's climate is very well suited for solar PV due to the cooling effect that we get from the sea. Solar PV panels have a higher output when the cell temperature is kept lower so cool sunny days in Ireland are perfect conditions for solar PV. It's not uncommon in a cool sunny day to see a 400w panel output 420w- 450w of electricity as the panel can operate at 110%+ efficiency under these conditions. The same applies when we have a nice breeze on a sunny day to keep the solar panels cooled. In addition to this, the newer more efficient Monocrystalline solar panels can generate electricity on cloudy days from the diffused light passing through the cloud.
What is the lifespan of solar PV panels?
Most modern solar PV panels come with a 20 -25 year manufacturers warranty however there are many solar PV panels still in daily use that have been operating for 30+ years.
What is a typical solar PV system size for home and business?
Typical residential PV systems range between 3kW and 6kW. A 3kW system would typically consist of 8 (390w) panels and would be suitable for a home that doesn't have a large electrical load. A 6kW (16 panel) system would be more suitable for homes with a larger electrical load such as electric heaters or heat pumps and even 9kW (24 panels) would not be unusual where roof space allows it. Commercial systems are generally 3 phase systems with multiple inverters and usually start around 30kW but usually range between 50kW -200kW depending on business size and electricity usage
How long will it take to recover my investment into a solar PV system?
Due to the recent increases in electricity costs it now takes as little as 3-4 years to recover the cost of a solar PV system. Considering theses systems typically last 25+ years then you can generate electricity free of charge for over 20 years .