Contractor Blog

In the space of just a few years, the average panel we install on domestic projects has shot up from around 315W to at least 375W, with more and more residential modules breaking the 400W barrier.

This is down to a few factors, such as the widespread adoption of new, more efficient technologies, bigger cells and bigger modules:

When researching solar PV, you may have come across the phrase ‘tier 1 solar panels’. It’s used as a selling point by some manufacturers and installers to demonstrate the reliability of their products. But is that really the case?

Why aren’t new houses built with solar panels? It’s a common question whenever we chat to people about PV. And we share the frustration - solar panels can be more cost effective and visually appealing when built in from the outset, not to mention cutting future owners’ bills from the moment they move in.

So let’s try to uncover why new build solar panels aren’t standard, along with the reasons why they ought to be and best practices for doing so.

Last week we tuned into a SunPower webinar, which promised a vague ‘big reveal’. We expected a new product or partnership, but what we got was a bombshell - Maxeon Solar Technologies (the company that makes SunPower panels) is extending its warranties to an epic 40 years for new installations.

Not only does this blow competitors’ 25 years warranties out of the water, it fundamentally changes the perception of solar power. We’ve long expected that panels will outlast their first 25 years, but for the first time a manufacturer is guaranteeing four decades of performance. You’re now buying 40 years’ worth of clean electricity upfront and that changes everything about your payback period and return on investment.

You’re buying products for life.

We’ve long discussed SolarEdge optimisers and inverters for their innovative, shade-busting abilities. Now the company has launched SolarEdge Smart Modules, solar panels with incorporated power optimisers. They are the first SolarEdge solar panels (though technically manufactured by a third party), with the main advantage being they are quicker - and therefore cheaper - to install than separate modules and optimisers.

The solar manufacturing industry is devoted to trends - from bifacial to PERC - always seeking ways to maximise energy generation. One technology that’s seen a meteoric rise in the last few years is half cell solar panels (or half cut solar cells), on track to become near ubiquitous across PV modules.

We’ve written before about the possibilities of domestic ground mounted solar panels, and now there is an exciting development that could make these types of installation even more affordable. By essentially using the same mounting systems we use for flat roof PV, we can install Van der Valk ground mounted solar panels to cut time and costs for our clients.

Let’s take a look at how it works.

We’re thrilled to announce some exciting Tesla news. Spirit has won Tesla’s Performance Excellence Award!

This recognises our work installing hundreds of Powerwalls to the exacting standards that enable us to be a Tesla Certified Installer. Much to our delight, the company also highlighted the value of our informative, impartial content in educating people about renewables and energy storage.

The world of solar cell development is a mass of competing technologies: an alphabet soup of acronyms and jargon. If you need to know your n-type HJT from your PERC P-N junction, this is the blog for you.

Heterojunction solar cells are one of the technologies touted to maximise potential PV panel efficiency. They are a combination of classic crystalline silicon and amorphous/thin film cells, theoretically providing the best of both worlds.

Not many PV panels have yet reached their end of life, but this is likely to accelerate in the 2030s as early systems (particularly those installed during the FiT boom) begin to reach old age.

Some panels, however, do get damaged, malfunction or are replaced for newer modules, becoming complex electronic waste.

What happens to the modules next is vital to ensuring solar remains one of the most sustainable forms of energy. The good news is that work is underway to tackle the complexities of solar panel recycling...