Solar PV Contractor of the Year 2024
Solar panels
Domestic
I’m thoroughly impressed with the high standard of work carried out by SunGift. I spent a number of years working in the building trade and SunGift’s work is among the best I’ve seen.
How do I make sure I get the right system?
Having a system designed and sized with your property and your needs in mind ensures you’ll achieve the savings you’re looking for.
So, it’s really important that you choose a system that’s been designed just for you. This is where our years of experience come in.
When we design your system we’ll take several key factors into account, including:
Do you want to store your energy?
An energy storage system, such as Tesla Powerwall, can hugely increase your energy savings by allowing you to store your excess solar energy for later use. We’ll talk you through the pros and cons of including a home battery with your system and help you find the most appropriate option.
How much space do you have and is there any shading?
As a first step, one of our friendly team will pop out to your house to take a look at the space you have available and carry out a shading analysis. Once we have the information we need we’ll use this to create a bespoke design for you.
Or, if you’re planning a new-build or a renovation, we can also design from your plans.
Our ethos and approach has always been the same: to do all we can to ensure our customers have the best possible experience of renewable energy
How much energy will my solar panels make?
Your system must be designed and sized with your specific energy needs in mind. It’s possible for your system to generate the same amount of energy as you use over the course of a year. Due to the seasons and your usage patterns though, some of the energy you generate will be exported rather than used by you. So, at certain times you will need to buy in energy. But, if you choose to include an energy storage system along with your solar PV, it is possible to live a lifestyle where you generate and also use mostly your own free solar energy.
This means that your reliance on electricity bought in (from “the grid”) is hugely reduced. So, with a well-designed solar PV system paired with a battery system such as Tesla Powerwall, you can get very close to self-sufficiency for a portion of the year.
How this works for you will depend on when you tend to use energy at home. Bear in mind that you can sign up for the Smart Export Guarantee where you’ll be paid for energy you export from your solar system back to the grid. So you’ll still benefit from the energy you generate but don’t use. A solar PV and storage system works as a holistic energy solution. Throughout much of the summer you can use your solar energy as it’s generated and store the excess to use when the sun’s gone down. During the winter, when your solar system produces less, you can use your battery to buy in cheap off-peak electricity from the grid.
To understand more about how this works, take a look at our blog. Designing and sizing the right system for you will depend on a number of factors, most importantly what you’re looking to achieve.
We’re always happy to have a no-obligation chat to see how we can help.
How much will solar panels cost me?
As with any bespoke electrical system, the costs will vary according to system size, type and complexity. To give a rough idea, our domestic solar PV systems usually cost between £2,000 – £5,000 plus VAT.
There are lots of factors at work here. A smaller system will of course cost less but may not be as cost-effective.
This is because some parts of a system have a set cost which may not reduce with system size. For example, a 4-kilowatt system will not cost twice as much as a 2-kilowatt system. Whether a smaller system makes sense for you will depend on your energy demand and budget.
On the other hand, if you have a high energy demand, a larger system might work best for you as extra panels could improve your energy bill savings, despite a higher upfront cost.
Some systems will also require different bits of kit, with different cost implications. Whether these are justified in terms of cost will depend on your property and your requirements.
For instance, if your roof has significant shading, panels with power optimisers may be recommended by our design team. This will depend on whether the increased generation optimisers allow outweighs the higher upfront cost. It may also depend on whether you have alternative roof space available, and which direction that roof space faces.
What’s most important is that your system design takes into account your needs, property and budget. Our designers will listen to your requirements and use specialist software to create a bespoke proposal for you.
Our blog explains more about steps we take in designing your solar panel system.
