Homeowner Blog

Recently, the Government announced a series of measures aimed at cutting red tape around the installation of solar panels. One of these was removing the planning regulation requirement around installing solar panels on domestic flat roofs, bringing this in line with commercial properties. But if you have a domestic flat roof and are looking to take advantage of this new state of affairs, what other considerations should you bear in mind?

In December last year, it was announced by the government that battery only installations will qualify for 0% VAT from the 1st February 2024. Previously, battery installations were only exempt when installed alongside a solar PV system. This makes it the perfect time to consider a battery installation in your home, whether you have an existing solar installation or not.

So, after an extended summer, the rain and snow are upon us. But how do solar panels cope in rainy weather? Can water ingress cause problems? And what about snow or hail?

It's been a while since we updated our readership on the full range of export tariffs available on market. Here at Spirit we work closely with a variety of energy companies to help you get the best rates for your solar PV system. With that in mind here is an overview of the state of the market for getting you the best value for excess energy. 

This September has broken records for heat and sunshine. So good news for solar panels, correct? Well, generally, yes - as temperatures increase and the clouds dissipate, you can expect to see greater outputs from your solar panels, but it's important to remember that it's not the heat that solar panels capture, it's the light.

In fact, solar panels are known to have a drop off in efficiency at warmer temperatures. This is because heat increases the voltage resistance to electrons, so the warmer a solar panel system is the less efficiently it runs. A crisp winter's day is actually the ideal weather for a solar panel system rather than sweltering summer, it's the greater number of daylight hours the summer provides that means a greater output during the summer months, not the heat. 

Tesla Powerwall 2 is one of our most recommended batteries for a domestic installation. For a limited time, Tesla are offering a £350 rebate for Tesla Powerwall 2s installed between August 11th and 31st December 2023 from certified installers.

Spirit Energy are a Tesla authorised partner so if you're in the market for a battery installation at your property, why not avail yourself of this offer and get in touch with our experienced and knowledgeable sales and estimating team today to reserve your slot in our busy installation calendar. We will walk you through the pros and cons of the various battery systems on offer. So pick up the phone today and call 0118 951 4490 or email us at info@spiritenergy.co.uk.

You can find more detailed information on the rebate here, and don't forget to check out our knowledge bank article on the Tesla Powerwall 2 here. 

When installing a solar PV system in your home one of the elements to consider is if you need a battery system to complement your PV panel setup. At Spirit, we install battery systems for most domestic PV systems we install, however there are a few factors that go into this decision.