Homeowner Blog

Coronavirus: Spirit is Open for Business

George Riley · 23 Mar 2020

We’d like to reassure you that we are determined to serve our customers and continue driving the switch to renewable energy during the COVID-19 outbreak.

We are following government advice to keep our staff and customers safe, and will update you on any changes to our operations.

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Topics: Spirit Energy news, Solar PV

Solar Panel Payback

David Woon · 13 Mar 2020

Over the past year there have been a couple of fairly large changes which have impacted the payback period of a solar PV installation. Firstly the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) closed for new applicants at the end of March 2019 and then the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) was brought into effect at the start of this year.

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Topics: EV charging, Solar PV

How to Run Your House on Solar Power and Renewable Energy

George Riley · 05 Mar 2020

Many of our customers are keen to use as much of the solar energy that their home generates as possible in the home. Not only will this reduce bills, it will also increase energy independence.

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Topics: Battery storage, EV charging, zappi, Solar PV

DNO Permission for Solar PV

David Woon · 20 Feb 2020

Image: Ofgem.

What is DNO permission and when do you need it?

The DNO or distribution network operator is the company responsible for distributing electricity from the National Grid to your home or business. In the UK there are 14 different district networks or DNO regions which are owned by six groups. For our installation zone, the distribution network operators which we are concerned by are Scottish & Southern Electricity (SSE), UK Power Networks (UKPN), and Western Power Distribution (WPD).

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Topics: Battery storage, Solar PV, Inverters

Do You Need Power Cut Protection?

George Riley · 11 Feb 2020

At the end of January, thousands of homes local to us across Reading, Bracknell and Basingstoke suffered power outages for an average of 3 hours. This past week, Storm Ciara denied over 500,000 of us access to electricity. And last August the country was hit by the worst blackout in a decade, affecting hospitals, trains and over a million people. 

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Topics: Battery storage, Tesla Powerwall

Should You Rent Out Your EV Charger?

George Riley · 06 Feb 2020

This week saw the government bring forward the ban on new petrol and diesel cars to 2035.

One of the most pressing challenges in encouraging people to switch to electric cars is building an extensive charging network. Most people charge at home, but there is always going to be a time when you need to top up on the go. A novel solution is to bolster the number of available chargers by opening up privately owned points for public use - peer-to-peer (P2P) electric vehicle charging.

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Topics: EV charging

Tesla Solar Roof: Tesla’s Roof Tiles Ready for Release?

Erica Charles · 02 Jan 2020

Another year has gone by with Tesla roof tiles as popular as ever in the public imagination, yet still mostly intangible. But that could all be about to change. Tesla has announced Solar Roof, the latest iteration of his solar tiles with promises of improved technology and scalability. The company is aiming to ramp up to 1,000 installations a week in America, so what can we expect?

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Topics: In roof solar panels, BIPV, Solar PV

How to Choose a Solar Inverter

George Riley · 12 Nov 2019

The inverter is the heart of a PV system. It’s the crucial interface between your solar panels and the rest of the home, batteries or national grid. Aside from converting DC solar power into usable AC, it houses many of the system’s safety features and performance monitoring.

Given it’s such an important component, let’s talk about how to choose a solar inverter. What do you have to consider, and which is the best model?

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Topics: Solar PV, Inverters

Best EV Charger for Tesla Cars

George Riley · 31 Oct 2019

The electric car revolution is well underway and many people in the UK are now taking delivery of their Tesla Model 3. But have you considered how you’ll be charging your new vehicle? What’s the best EV charger for Tesla cars?

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Topics: EV charging, zappi

Solar Tiles vs Solar Panels

George Riley · 12 Sep 2019

With the increasing instability in the world, on site solar is ever more appealing. It’s a technology that empowers individuals to supply themselves with clean, renewable energy at an increasingly affordable price. Innovation in this industry is constant, so let’s see how one of the developing trends in PV stacks up by comparing solar tiles vs solar panels.

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Topics: In roof solar panels, Solar PV