Find a Solar Panel Installer you can trust in Isle Of Canna.

There are a wide range of benefits you stand to derive by installing solar panels for your business operations. Not only can it help you save money,  but it can also go a long way to help reduce your business’ environmental footprint. Regardless of whether your company is big or small, it can still benefit immensely by making use of solar panels. If you’re considering the installation of solar panels in your business environment, then you probably want to know just how much it’ll cost to complete the project. In order to help you make the most informed purchase decision, we’ve created this post to give you a good insight into commercial solar panel pricing. Let’s take a look!

Generally, the cost of commercial solar panels is within the range of £16000 to £70000 for small to mid-sized companies. However, there are a number of factors that can influence the cost of commercial solar panels which includes the size of the roof, the amount of energy that’s generated as well as the number incorporated. There is a need to evaluate the cost of solar panels so as to determine whether or not they’re a feasible option for your business. In order to determine the amount of energy your company uses per month, simply take a closer look at your utility bill.  This should indicate just how much energy you use per month as well as how much the utility company charges per kW. In general, most small to medium sized companies will incorporate 30,000 to 50,000 kWh annually and you can expect the cost to differ based on your location and the size of your system. The rule of thumb with larger systems is to calculate using £1000 per kW, plus VAT as the yardstick.

How much energy a solar panel produces depends on its manufacturer and exposure to the sun. A good-quality solar panel typically has a power output of about 300 watts per hour, but this can vary from about 240 to 360 watts. How much energy your solar panel will produce per day depends on how many hours of unshaded daylight it’s exposed to.

Here’s an idea of how much energy you could expect a large commercial solar panel installation to produce in a year.

Solar panel system size, No. of solar panels, Annual electricity output

11kW, 44, 9,350kW

20kW, 80, 17,000kW

30kW, 120, 25,500kW

40kW, 160, 34,000kW

50kW, 200, 42,500kW

Obviously the performance of a solar thermal system will vary depending on the location of the home, the insulation of the property, and your own hot water requirements. Solar thermal panels are capable of providing all of your hot water requirements from April to September. They will still make a contribution to your hot water needs for the rest of the year, but in general you will need a backup system to further heat the water in the colder months.

Solar PV panels work by converting sunlight into electricity. They’re made up of photovoltaic cells, which take in the sun’s rays and turn it into direct current (DC) electricity. The current is then channelled into an inverter, which converts it to alternating current (AC).

Once converted to AC, the electricity is ready to use. It’s fed through a meter and into your property’s consumer unit, and is automatically used to power appliances and heating systems. Your system will automatically switch between your solar electricity supply and the national grid, and export any solar electricity you don’t use to the national grid.

It may be hard to believe with the summers we have in the UK, but there is more than enough sunlight to power solar panels. Solar PV (photovoltaic) panels operate in daylight, rather than needing direct rays from the sun so they’ll work throughout the year.

Not only will you reduce your electricity bill by generating your own electricity with solar panels, but you can also earn money through the SEG which is offered by large energy suppliers. They’ll pay you for the electricity you export back to the grid. You’ll also reduce your carbon footprint, lessening your impact on the environment.

In a similar way to other major home improvement projects, some specific requirements must be met to allow for the installation of solar panels. The main reason why these standards and regulations were established is to minimize the risk of the solar system becoming an issue or potential hazard in the unforeseeable future. So if you’re thinking about buying and fitting new solar panels, you’ll probably want to know whether or not you’ll require to submit a planning permission application for approval before you can proceed.

Generally, solar panels are covered under what’s called “Permitted Development” which gives you the freedom to install your solar panels without having to apply for a planning permission. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. These exceptions include if your house is a listed building or if your house is located within a conservation area. In these exceptional cases, it’s possible that you’ll need to apply for a planning permission, but this will largely depend on the discretion of your Local Planning Authority. What’s more? Solar panels are usually subjected to normal building regulations which includes examining the roof to make sure that it can support the additional weight. You can call in a MCS certified installer to carry out this check for you.

In order to install your solar PV on your roof, you must follow these guidelines:

✓ Your solar panels shouldn’t go beyond the highest point of the roof (excluding chimneys).

✓ The solar panels shouldn’t project beyond 200mm off the roof’s edge.

✓ The solar panels should be removed once they’re no longer used to produce electricity

✓ The solar panels should be installed such that the area and building’s appearance change is minimized.