Solar Myth Busting

There are many myths about solar PV, we would like to help clarify some of the more common ones...

"There's no money to be made since the Feed-in-Tariff was cut by the Government".

We like hearing this one because actually you are likely to gain a higher return on your investment now, than if you had bought solar when the tariff was at its highest rate. This is because the cost of purchasing and installing the equipment has dropped dramatically over the last 3 years. Whilst the Feed-in-Tariff has also reduced, the rate of return is generally higher now.

"Solar panels only last 10 years then you have to replace them".

This another one of those great myths that simply isn't true. Manufacturers of solar PV panels provide a warranty that guarantees the performance of the panel for a length of time. All the panels supplied by us give a 20 year performance warranty, Sharp for example warranty that in 20 years time their panels will still be producing 80% of the rated power output. 

"The money I get from the Feed-in-Tariff goes down every time the rate is reduced by the Government"

Not true! Once your Feed-in-Tariff application is accepted, your rate is locked for 20 years. Its index linked meaning that it will rise with inflation but cannot ever be cut by Government or anyone else.

"You need to get up on the roof and clean the panels or else they stop working"

Incorrect!. Once installed, solar panels rarely need any kind of maintenance. Snow and leaves will slide off, bird droppings will dry up and crumble and dust will simply be blown away.Panels that are laid fat will require regular cleaning but this installation method is rare in the Southeast of England where the optimal angle is 35 degrees.

"The UK doesn't have enough sun to make fitting solar panels worthwhile"

In the South East United Kingdom we experience an average of 1600 hours of sunshine each year. Obviously this changes with every season but one thing remains the same.... It certainly makes good financial sense to invest in solar PV. We have more than enough sunshine to give payback periods averaging seven years with a further 13 years profit from free electricity and Feed-in-Tariff payments.