solar panels - faq

Q. What are solar collectors?
Q. Is my house in an optimal location for solar heating?
Q. What is solar pv?
Q. What planning requirements should be considered?

Q. What are solar collectors?
Solar collectors or solar thermal panels operate like a radiator on your roof through which circulating water is heated up when the sun is shining.  The calculation of your hot water requirements is an influencing factor with solar panels - unlike energy-generating PV panels, there is no way of exporting excess hot water so it doesn't make sense to install too large an area of panels.  Talk to a member of our design team about your requirements.

A typical solar set from IHS consists of 2 vertical solar panels with the following technical data:

• Gross Area 2.55m2 per panel
• Net Area 2.36m2 per panel
• Dimensions - LxW    2.16 x 1.18m
• Weight - 46kg

Q. Is my house in an optimal location for solar heating?
The orientation of your house (east/south/west) must be measured accurately in order to use solar heating to its best advantage.  Nowadays, deviations towards the east or west have no influence on your purchasing decision.  A slight increase in collector surface is required to compensate for an eastern or western orientation.   

Q. What is solar pv?
IHS do not yet supply solar pv systems but we are actively looking at a number of design companies in this field. 

PV stands for photovoltaic.  Solar PV roof arrays generate electricity from sunlight.  They are expensive but they are the easiest way to generate electricity on site. 

Silicon crystal PV technology is still the main solar pv option but the widely held view is that the future has moved on from silicon cell manufacturing to thin-film technology.

Roof-integrated solar systems can replace a roof or wall covering and have a lifespan in excess of forty years.  

In the UK, costs are still ridiculously high - about twice the price of comparable systems in the Meditteranean.  You'd need to budget for about £5,000 per kW installed (a typical low-energy house will need 3kW to 4kW capacity).  But it's calculated that even at these costs, investment in a domestic PV system will fix the price of householder's electricity at 12p to 15p per kWh for the next 40 years.

Q. What planning requirements should be considered?
Planning permission varies according to where you're installing.  Click here for further information.