Spirit Energy Blog for Contractors, Architects and Consultants

Solar Panel Prices Rise as Demand Exceeds Supply

Solar Panel Shortages: Order Ahead to Secure Panels for your Projects

Erica Charles · 17 Jan 2019

If you have a requirement for Solar PV as part of any project in Q1 or Q2 this year, we recommend you place an order for the installation as soon as you can in order to secure stock, current low prices, and installation labour.

The overall trend in the solar PV industry is one of technological improvements (more Watts per 60 cell panel), and manufacturing improvements (lower prices), but in the first half of this year a perfect storm is brewing leading to limitations in supply, and the potential for increasing prices.

Three factors are at play:

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Topics: Solar PV

Easy Roof Evolution: In Roof Solar with Velux Windows

Erica Charles · 07 Dec 2018

If you are building a new property or re-doing a roof and want to install solar PV, it makes sense to look at roof integrated solar panels.

There are a few systems on the market, for example Viridian Solar and GSE. But one system in particular, Easy Roof Evolution, stands out if you want Velux® windows within the solar array.

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Topics: In roof solar panels, Solar PV

Solar Panel Output Calculator: Commercial Solar PV

Erica Charles · 30 Nov 2018

Two or three weeks ago we launched a 'Back-of-Envelope' Solar PV Calculator.

You can access it here:

I have been using the calculator to get a rough idea of what the returns from solar PV look like in a post-subsidy world, without bothering our Estimating team (who, as you can imagine, are pretty busy in the run up to the Feed-in Tariff closure on 31st March 2019).

Here's an example of what 75kWp of un-subsidised solar PV looks like, retro-fitted to a factory roof...

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Topics: Solar PV, Calculator

Solar Panel Bird-Proofing Without Voiding the Panel Warranty

Erica Charles · 11 Apr 2018

If you are in charge of specify or installing on-roof solar panels, you should consider installing solar panel protection to stop birds from nesting under the panels.

Nesting birds cause problems for solar panels and increase the need for general building maintenance.

Luckily the industry has now developed well-proven solutions for solar panel protection: solar mesh and solar bird spikes.

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Topics: Maintenance, Solar PV

Spirit's Q1 Contractor Update: Solar Panel Costs and Performance

Henry Day · 26 Jan 2018

Every quarter, we issue an updated version of our free Solar PV Specifier's Guide (otherwise known as "Spirit's Easy Guide to Solar").

This comprehensive info pack covers everything we believe a specifier should know about solar PV.

If you've previously downloaded the guide, you now have the option to just download our Quarterly Cost Update (Appendix I of the full guide), which will keep you up-to-date with current solar power costs and subsidy rates.

The contents of the two downloads are as follows:

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Topics: Solar PV

Flat Roof Solar: Finding the Right Angle

Erica Charles · 05 Jan 2018

One of the most common misunderstandings surrounding flat roof solar installations concerns the panel mounting angles - the slope relative to the horizontal and the orientation relative to south.

In the UK, solar panels produce most power when mounted at between 30 and 40 degrees to the horizontal, facing due south. It is therefore natural to assume that this is the best angle to tilt them at for flat roof installations. But this is not usually the case, as there are other factors that come into play with flat roof mounting:

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Topics: Solar PV

Spirit's Updated Free Guide to Building Integrated Solar PV (BIPV)

Erica Charles · 16 Nov 2017

Solar tiles, solar glass, solar facades, solar roofs, and in-roof systems are growing in popularity due to their ability to take the place of building elements whilst generating electricity and reducing running costs of the building.

Leading architects are no longer confining themselves to solar tiles and complete solar roofs, they are also specifying solar in atriums, in windows, as solar cladding, on bus stops and in car parks...

Solar Windows and Facades Improve Building ROI

Erica Charles · 27 Oct 2017

Solar windows can be used to replace conventional construction materials such as glazing or cladding, whilst also generating electricity on site.

In multi-storey buildings where roof space is often limited, facades and windows usually offer the most potential for electricity generation, thus the development of solar glazing is set to play an important role in the growth of ‘urban micro-generation’.

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Topics: BIPV, Solar PV

Spirit Solar launches new website: www.spiritenergy.co.uk

Erica Charles · 21 Sep 2017

We are excited to announce the launch of our new website, www.spiritenergy.co.uk.

Spirit Solar Ltd was launched at the end of 2009 as a residential solar installer. Since then our client base has expanded to include contractors, housebuilders, corporates, schools, colleges, universities, councils and community groups, as well as hundreds of private individuals.

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Topics: Spirit Energy news, Solar PV