Contractor Blog

It’s something of a solar industry cliche, but the inverter really is the heart of a photovoltaic system. While solar panels harness the sun’s energy, it’s the inverter that converts this direct current (DC) into usable alternating current (AC) electricity. Yet, compared to the panels, inverters rarely get much discussion.

Image source: Wikimedia.

With more and more properties looking at reducing their reliance on fossil fuels, becoming more sustainable, and increasing their grid independence, opting for a heat pump ticks a lot of these boxes. Heat pumps may also see a significant rise in the coming years due to the announcement that it is highly likely gas boilers will be banned in new build properties in the next few years.

Though Spirit does not install heat pumps, we are interested in how they form part of a renewable energy powered home.

Technological breakthroughs are a mainstay of the solar industry. One area of development that’s received a lot of chatter over the years is perovskite solar cells - an alternative to the silicon that all conventional solar cells are made from.

So why are people excited about perovskite, and will it be the future of photovoltaics?

When in the planning and design stages of a solar PV project, you may come across the term export limitation. Essentially the process involves fitting a device to cap exported power going from the solar system to the grid. But why would you want or need one? Read on to find out...

A perennial source of confusion when researching solar PV is peak performance. We regularly classify solar systems by their peak, their kWp. But does a system ever reach its peak? In very hot weather over the summer, system owners often observe a drop in performance - so is the peak power in solar panels even significant?

Spirit Energy is delighted to have been part of bringing renewable energy generation to the Natural History Museum in Tring.

For many commercial flat roofs, we install solar PV with Van der Valk mounting. It’s high quality kit, produced in the Netherlands, that offers flexible layouts, compact ballast, quick install time and affordable prices.

Read on for more on the challenges of flat roof solar and why we recommend Van der Valk.

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.

Free sessions can be found on the following link:

If you'd like to arrange a private training session for your team, please email us at info@spiritenergy.co.uk. Any session arranged beyond the 6 free annual webinar sessions will be chargeable.