Solar Panels with Cala Homes

Homes with solar panels take advantage of one of nature’s most powerful yet free resources: the energy produced by the sun. One type of solar panels for homes are photovoltaic panels or photovoltaic systems (PV systems).

These panels use semiconductor technology to convert energy from sunlight directly into electricity that can be used to power your household.

PV stands for ‘photovoltaics’ and means converting sunlight into electricity (as opposed to Solar Thermal which is heating water).

The solar panels generate direct current (DC) electricity from sunlight which is fed through an inverter to convert it into alternating current (AC) electricity. The inverter is connected to your consumer unit (fuse board) so the electricity can be used in your home.

The technology installed in your home handles all of this for you.

Yes, you should see savings on your electricity bill. How much you can save depends on the utility rates, the size of the solar PV system you have installed, your electricity habits, and how effectively you use the electricity while it’s being generated.

Homeowners can make the most of the free electricity through measures like setting timers on your appliances, such as your washing machine and dishwasher, to run them in sequence and efficiently use your solar power.

Solar PV panels are unlikely to produce enough electricity to meet your home’s entire requirements (particularly at night), but they will contribute, helping with your energy consumption.

Unless you purchase battery storage for the system, the electricity must be used as soon as it’s generated, or it will be lost if it is not directed into the grid.

Any solar generated electricity which is not used in the home immediately will usually feed back into the grid.

Sometimes the grid operator advises Cala that it can’t cope with exported power from solar PV systems in the area and they enforce export limitation. At Cala, this means we would program the inverter of the system to switch off if the home didn’t require the electricity being generated and prevent any excess from being exported back into the grid.

Alternatively, if there is a battery installed in your house, the excess solar electricity can be directed to the battery and stored for later use instead.

There are no moving parts to a solar PV system so they don’t require any maintenance or servicing other than being cleaned from time to time.

For peace of mind you may wish to consider an extended warranty option with the manufacturer of your solar PV panels.

The lifespan of PV panels is up to 20 plus years. In fact, many solar panels installed as early as the 1980s are still working at expected capacity and newer versions have expected lifespans of 40-50 years.

Generally solar panels in the UK will not need heavy duty cleaning as they are designed to self-clean in the rain. However, depending on location, they may be affected by a build-up of dirt, leaves, bird droppings or salt water if near the coast, for example, so cleaning the modules from time to time may be required.

The obvious risk here is working at height, therefore we would recommend you hire a professional to carry out this work – window cleaners often offer this service. No abrasive chemicals should be used, warm soapy water is fine.

It will depend on the PV system installed on the apartment block, however there are usually two scenarios.

1. Landlord supply – the energy generated from the whole PV array goes directly into the landlord supply and can power things like communal areas, lifts etc. This is usually the case as it is the simplest and most cost-effective set up.
2. Individual property supply – each property is allocated a certain number of PV panels that powers the individual property rather than the whole PV array powering the whole building.

You should check with your sales consultant on which supply you will receive at your chosen development.

No, PV panels work in most daylight conditions including cloudy days, but the more direct sunshine the receive, the better the generation will be. It is worth being aware of nearby trees in case they start to shade the solar panels.

The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) was set up by the Government to replace the Feed-in Tariff and came into effect January 2020. If you generate solar electricity, are not already receiving Feed-in Tariff payments and you have a smart meter then you can sign up to an SEG tariff with an electricity supplier to be paid for any solar electricity that is exported to the grid. All electricity suppliers with more than 150,000 customers must offer an SEG tariff, but the rates will vary between companies.

Having solar PV panels installed in your home is a positive feature for prospective buyers as they will contribute to lower energy bills compared to a house without PV panels. Keep the user manual and MCS certificate as these may be required for the new owners.