Homeowner Blog

Maybe you’ve seen the uptick in the number of your neighbours installing solar panels recently, and why you may ask? What are they getting out of it? Surely it can’t make any real sense. It might seem like a daunting investment, but once you weigh up the costs and benefits, we think things will get a little clearer.

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From start to finish Spirit delivered an exceptional level of service in getting my full PV system in place. From providing sensible and occasionally challenging advice, they guided me to the most appropriate configuration to meet our needs.
The technicians managing the installation were a delight to work with keeping me well-advised at each stage of the project.
Overall very happy with my new power station.

Mr. Crowe
May, 2023
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Solar Together is a group-buying scheme that offers discounted solar installations. While this might initially seem attractive, there are several compelling reasons why you should consider choosing an independent solar installer like Spirit Energy instead. 

Fixing a few hundred kilograms of silicon to your roof warrants many queries about the general installation process. So lets answer some of the frequently asked questions.

Installing solar PV can be a big investment, and like any investment, it’s always worth doing due diligence when picking the right installer for you. It can be difficult with so many options, each with their own pros and cons. Between new entrants and established incumbents, and the wide range of specialties and experience. In this blog, we will round up a list of criteria to help find the right installer for your solar investment.

When you install a solar system, you are effectively buying your own power station on your roof. That business is using your land (and the sun that falls on it), to produce an income stream.  That income stream is the value of the business that you have created. Those income streams will come in over the course of 25+ years. So how do we put a Net Present Value (NPV) on them today? In an example below, Mr. C discovered that his investment of £8,900 would be worth over £25,000 on the day that it is installed. A return of over 270%. 

You may think that solar PV is an established and accepted technology in the UK, but it’s surprising how many solar panel myths persist. At our last community event, a visitor confidently informed us that ‘Britain doesn’t get enough sun for solar power’, which may come as a shock to our clients, whose thousands of panels have been generating well for the last decade.

So let’s set out the facts to debunk common solar myths, from the misinformed to the absurd.

In a surprise piece of good news, the government announced last week that solar panel VAT will be scrapped until 2027.

Looking at Google search data, you can see how interest in solar panels has intensified since the energy crisis hit the news last autumn, and surged when the upcoming electricity price hikes were announced last month:

It’s now been three years since solar subsidies were phased out and tax rates first hiked, then dramatically scrapped. At the same time, electricity prices have continued to rise, especially during the recent energy crisis. So what does this mean for the economics of solar power? In short, are solar panels worth it today?

Speaking purely from a financial point of view, the answer is a resounding yes. Of course beyond the financial, there are many other benefits, including energy independence and reduced air pollution.

Back to the financials. The solar Feed-in Tariff subsidy may have ended, but the cost of the technology has fallen by more than 50% over the past decade. Overall the cost of domestic solar electricity is now around 9p per kWh. This is well below the 22.36p average domestic import cost from the grid (which, by the way, increased by an average 4.9% each year over the past decade...).