Contractor Blog

A couple of months ago, we announced that we would be offering our free CPD training online during the coronavirus restrictions. Since then we’ve been running sessions and have been astounded by the interest and enthusiasm from people keen to learn about renewable technologies - and pick up some new skills in lockdown.

Spirit recently installed solar PV at the new home of one of our sales team. Since there’s no better way to live and breathe the technology than through personal experience, Mark shares his take on the process of installing SunPower panels with an integrated GSE mounting system.

As we settle into life on lockdown, we’re all finding new ways to keep our businesses running and make the best use of our time. The Spirit team is working remotely, but we’re determined to keep sharing our knowledge, even if we can’t visit companies to deliver our usual CPD sessions.

So, after a bit of testing, we’re delighted to announce that we can now offer online CPD training. Your staff can dial in from wherever they’re based for a virtual session on solar PV, battery storage or EV charging.

And best of all - it’s entirely free.

One of the questions we hear often is ‘Do I need to clean my solar panels?’. The short answer - it depends. So when should you invest in solar panel cleaning?

London has high solar ambitions. The city is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. To reach this, the Mayor aims to install 1GW of new solar by 2030 and 2GW by 2050.

To give this some context, 1GW of PV requires around 3,500,000 solar panels and should output enough to power around 250,000 homes.

We are very excited to announce that we’ve been chosen as one of two installers for Solar Together’s current round of PV installations in London. Solar Together is a group-buying scheme, enabling thousands of people to sign up for a personal solar recommendation, which they can purchase at a very competitive price.

Our vision since we started the company almost a decade ago has been of a country where every homeowner can generate their own clean, renewable energy. Technology and costs have changed enormously in that time, but a project like this goes even further towards making solar an option for many more people. We’re delighted to be part of this journey.

The electric vehicle boom is imminent. The government recently pledged £400m investment towards EV charging infrastructure as part of its commitment to net zero by 2050. Emission-free number plates are set to turn green to boost driver benefits, awareness and uptake.

While solar panels are traditionally retrofitted to an existing rooftop, it’s becoming more common (especially in newbuilds) to integrate the panels into the roof itself. With in roof PV, you end up with a sleeker, more attractive result.

One of our favourite brands of integrated solar is Viridian. Manufactured here in the UK, Viridian solar panels have a bespoke mounting system to embed them in the rooftop with a sleek, low profile.

What is a PERC cell?

PERC solar cells are a variation on the traditional cells used in solar panels that offer enhanced efficiency. The acronym PERC stands for Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact or Passivated Emitter and Rear Cell. Over the last few years they have become more and more popular, to the point where they now make up over 40% of the solar technology market and are expected to dominate by 2021, according to the ITRPV.

Solar panel orientation is a key determining factor in the output of a solar PV system, as it dictates how much sunshine the panels will see over the course of the day. The more sunshine they see the higher the output. In the UK the optimum orientation for a high generation is to face the panels due south. However; what happens if the panels face off south or even directly east or west?