Solar energy! It is a term that you are probably well aware of however; do you know much about it? If you don't then don't despair. This article will give you a great introductory guide to what it is, what it's likely to cost you, and how it can power your home. So, if that sounds like information that you'd like to know, then read on to find out more.
The almighty sun
Did you know that in just one hour the sun transmits enough energy to power every home on this planet for an entire year? Well, now you do, and yes, it really does. The sun is the single greatest source of energy we know of that we can actually harness. We're still not fully able to capture all of the energy that burning ball of hydrogen and helium in the sky produces, but we've made a start. We can currently use our nearest star to provide heating and electricity for our homes. We do this by using two different energy catching methods.
Solar heating / thermal energy
This clever way of catching the sun's energy does so to heat up the water in your home. It's pretty efficient at it too, and can be used to heat up about 60% of the water needed in the average domestic household. Solar thermal energy works by catching the heat from the sun, and therefore is not weather dependent. It doesn't matter if it's summer or winter, cloudy or sunny, or even raining, which is lucky, as we get plenty of rain here in the UK.
Solar photovoltaic energy
Now, as photovoltaic isn't exactly the easiest word to say, we'll just call it solar PV. This form of solar power is much different from its solar thermal counterpart. Rather than heating the water in your home, solar PV acts to produce electricity from the energy the sun transmits. It does this by producing an electric field when energy hits the PV panels. As with solar thermal energy, this energy source is actually quite efficient, and can, on average, provide 40% of the electricity needed to power the run of the mill domestic household.
Prices and government schemes
The cost of solar energy options isn't exactly cheap. It is however, much less expensive than it used to be. The average solar thermal heating system in the UK will cost you around £4,000 to buy and install. The solar installation and cost of PV panels is slightly more expensive than solar thermal energy, and will cost you around £7,500 in the UK.
Nonetheless, there are government incentives running right now that can save you quite a bit of money when buying a solar renewable energy option for your home. With solar PV, the UK government has a scheme where you can sell back to the grid, and both forms come discounted at this current time. Therefore, if you're seriously considering going solar, then you should be acting right now to get the best deal.
The almighty sun
Did you know that in just one hour the sun transmits enough energy to power every home on this planet for an entire year? Well, now you do, and yes, it really does. The sun is the single greatest source of energy we know of that we can actually harness. We're still not fully able to capture all of the energy that burning ball of hydrogen and helium in the sky produces, but we've made a start. We can currently use our nearest star to provide heating and electricity for our homes. We do this by using two different energy catching methods.
Solar heating / thermal energy
This clever way of catching the sun's energy does so to heat up the water in your home. It's pretty efficient at it too, and can be used to heat up about 60% of the water needed in the average domestic household. Solar thermal energy works by catching the heat from the sun, and therefore is not weather dependent. It doesn't matter if it's summer or winter, cloudy or sunny, or even raining, which is lucky, as we get plenty of rain here in the UK.
Solar photovoltaic energy
Now, as photovoltaic isn't exactly the easiest word to say, we'll just call it solar PV. This form of solar power is much different from its solar thermal counterpart. Rather than heating the water in your home, solar PV acts to produce electricity from the energy the sun transmits. It does this by producing an electric field when energy hits the PV panels. As with solar thermal energy, this energy source is actually quite efficient, and can, on average, provide 40% of the electricity needed to power the run of the mill domestic household.
Prices and government schemes
The cost of solar energy options isn't exactly cheap. It is however, much less expensive than it used to be. The average solar thermal heating system in the UK will cost you around £4,000 to buy and install. The solar installation and cost of PV panels is slightly more expensive than solar thermal energy, and will cost you around £7,500 in the UK.
Nonetheless, there are government incentives running right now that can save you quite a bit of money when buying a solar renewable energy option for your home. With solar PV, the UK government has a scheme where you can sell back to the grid, and both forms come discounted at this current time. Therefore, if you're seriously considering going solar, then you should be acting right now to get the best deal.
That should bring you up to speed on everything solar. If you want to know more, or want installation in the UK, then contact Gregor Heating, who are highly qualified solar installers in Bristol and the South West.
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