Solar Panels

Category:
Environment

What are they?

Aspire Housing has approximately 500 properties with solar panels on their roofs which were either installed by Aspire Housing or were included when the property was built.

There are two types of panels

- Solar PV (photovoltaic) that capture the suns energy and convert it into electricity that you can use in your home

-Solar thermal that uses the energy from the sun to heat up water to use in the home.

The energy generated from the solar PV panels can be used in your home with no charge which will help to reduce your energy bills. Once the electricity generated from the solar panels runs out it will then revert back to using energy from the grid. This happens seamlessly in the background.

How can I maximise their use?

Solar panels work best when the daylight is at its peak so it’s a good idea to run your electrical items and appliances such as washing machine, dishwasher during the day. The solar panels cannot store energy for use at times when may use appliances so if you’re not at home during these times you could consider setting a timer for your appliances.

Can solar panels on my roof reduce my energy bills?

This will depend on the number of panels on your roof and also how much the sunlight is being captured by the panels. It will also depend on when you are in your property, if you are in all day and use your appliances over this time it will create a bigger saving. The table below from the ‘energy savings trust’ shows that the average annual savings households could see.

Solar Panel graph (Disclaimer)

What is the Feed in Tariff?

Some of the solar panels on homes are registered to a ‘Feed in Tariff’.

With solar panel systems there will be times when the electricity generated is more than you can use or store, in this situation the surplus is exported to the grid. If we have registered the solar system with a Feed in Tariff then Aspire Housing will receive a payment for each kilowatt (kw) exported back to the grid.

More information on Feed In Tariffs can be found here https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/grants-and-loans/feed-in-tariff/

The Feed in Tariff Scheme closed for new applications in March 2019 and was replaced by the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)

What maintenance can I expect?

We’ll carry out regular maintenance checks on solar panels to ensure they are in good working order. You don’t need to carry out any maintenance to the panels yourself.

I live in a shared ownership property and have solar panels, will the same information apply to me?

Some of our of shared ownership properties have solar panels and were installed when they were built. Whether you, the leaseholder, or Aspire, the owner, is responsible for the repair and maintenance of the panels will depend on the terms of your lease as they do differ. Please get in touch if you are unsure on this.

Do Aspire Housing intend to install any solar panels on homes who currently don’t have them?

Currently we have no confirmed planned programme for further solar panels, however we are consistently reviewing options to increase the sustainability of our customers homes.

Can I install solar panels on my rented home myself?

Unfortunately, we would not permit customers to install solar panels on their properties.

Further guidance links

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ev-chargepoint-grant-for-flat-owner-occupiers-and-people-living-in-rented-properties-customer-guidance