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22nd October 2013

Three Golden Rules to Get the Most from Solar Energy

Optimising your solar potential.=

With ever increasing energy prices, many individuals and businesses are turning to solar energy as an alternative to keep their costs down.

With an annual return of over 10% on most solar installations and significant energy savings to be made, how can you get the most from a solar installation? Simply follow the three golden rules

1. Choose the Optimum Roof Pitch: Installing your solar panels on the most southerly facing roof pitch will achieve the highest possible returns and is one of the key areas to consider when installing solar panels. However, if your property does not have a suitable south-facing roof pitch, south east, south west and even east or west pitches are suitable. It might surprise you to know that east or west facing installations only lose about 15% of the output of due-south installations, meaning that they can often provide a viable investment option.

2. Choose the Best Roof Angle: Secondly, the angle of the roof pitch will directly affect the generation of the solar system. In the UK the optimum roof pitch for solar panels is 30 to 40 degrees. This is due to the fact that the angle of the sun is 50 to 60 degrees, which when combined with a 30 to 40 degree roof pitch creates a 90 degree angle; providing the highest level of solar radiation.

3. Ensure That Your Roof Has Minimal Shading: The third and final rule, which is often seen as the most important, is to ensure that you choose a roof pitch which isn’t shaded. This is due to the fact that if the roof is overshadowed for even part of the day, it will have a noticeable impact on the overall generation of your solar system. This problem occurs as the solar panels are connected in sequence, meaning that if one panel is in shade, none of the panels will generate power.

If you follow these golden rules, your solar PV installation will produce the highest possible yield for your home or business, making the best return on investment. To find out if your property is suitable for solar PV, call Eco2Solar on 01562 745 265 or visit our solar web page for more information.