FAQ

Yes. Businesses can claim back capital allowances on energy-efficient technology such as solar panels and EV charging points. That means you’ll pay less tax overall.

In 2022, the UK government announced a VAT rate of 0% for the next five years on domestic solar panel installations. This could save you hundreds of pounds, if not more on the cost of your installation.

Yes. Smart export guarantees (SEG) allow you to sell excess renewable energy back to the national grid, saving you money on your energy bills.

A solar PV panel consists of many cells made from layers of semiconducting material, most commonly silicon. When light shines on this material, a flow of electricity is created.

The cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy days. However, the stronger the sunshine, the more electricity generated.

Solar PV systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. Typical systems contain around 10 panels and generate direct current (DC) electricity. Because the electricity used for household appliances is alternating current (AC), an inverter is installed along with the system to convert DC electricity to AC. This electricity can be used throughout your home, or exported to the grid.

Space is a key consideration. The average system size is around 4kWp and this will typically take up around 20m2 roof area.

An unshaded, South facing roof is ideal for maximum electrical output. East /West facing roofs can still produce nearly as much as a South facing roof, especially if you oversize the system. North facing roofs are not recommended. 

Any nearby buildings, trees or chimneys could shade your roof and have a negative impact on the performance of your system.

Finding an unshaded spot is best, however sometimes shading is unavoidable. Some solar PV systems can minimise the impact of shading using ‘optimisers’. If you don’t have shading, the use of optimisers is not necessary or beneficial, other than the increased monitoring opportunities they offer – they won’t generate more energy. Nimbus Solar will advise and guide you on the best system for your roof space, and if we don’t think you’ll benefit, we’ll let you know straight away.

Solar PV panels are considered ‘permitted developments’ and often don’t require planning permission. However, exceptions apply and it’s best to check with your local planning office for guidance. If you live in a listed building, conservation area or national park, additional restrictions may apply.

If you’re planning to install a solar PV system in your home, it must be registered with your Distribution Network Operator (DNO). The DNO is the company responsible for bringing electricity to your home. Usually, your installer will register the device for you. Nimbus Solar will do all this for you as part of the package.

The UK Government has advice on how to register your new energy device in England, Scotland and Wales.

Although batteries are an additional cost, they offer you greater savings over the long-term. They will increase the amount of self-generated electricity you can use on site, by about 40% (estimated increase is from 30% to 70%).

The income from your battery will compensate for the cost of the battery itself. For more information, please get in touch.

Batteries capture solar electricity that would otherwise be exported back to the grid. Then, once the sun goes down, the battery can discharge this electricity to meet evening and daytime loads, so you can use it whenever you need it.

In the summer, as your PV system will be full more often, your battery should meet your evening peak usage and throughout the night also. However, in the winter, your solar energy should just cover the household’s needs during the day, and very little would be stored in the battery. Therefore, you will still need grid electricity for the nights in winter.

During the winter months in the UK, solar PV production is significantly reduced. Less sunshine, fewer daylight hours and sub-zero temperatures can all have an impact on battery charge/discharge rates and general operation.

Lower levels of solar generation and increased electricity demand in the home can mean that your battery has a reduced chance of being charged back up again for extended periods of time. While the inverter will stop emptying the battery when it gets to its minimum State of Charge (SOC), the battery will continue to deplete just from running its own internal battery management system. Lithium batteries shouldn’t sit empty for long periods.

To stop this from happening and maintain the longevity of your battery, we recommend that you set your home battery system to charge to 100% at least once per week to keep the battery healthy and to allow the batteries to balance charge (if you have multiple batteries) and self-calibrate.

If you have a variable rate tariff (e.g. Octopus Flux) you can charge your battery cheaply from the grid at set times, and then use the energy during the day to supplement your solar generation. We can help you set this up on your system.

Sub-Zero Temperatures
Many battery and inverter systems can be installed outside or in garages and outbuildings. Most batteries have an operating temperature range of 0-40 degrees. The batteries are designed to safely withstand much colder temperatures than this, however, they will shut down when the fall below 0 degrees to avoid damage, this is completely normal, and part of the batteries built in protection system.  Batteries will also charge and discharge much more slowly when they are cold. If your battery is installed in a location where the ambient temperature will fall below 0 degrees, we recommend installing a low wattage bar heater and thermostat (set at 5 degrees) below the battery, so that it can continue to operate during colder periods.

Following very cold weather, you may need to manually restart your system to resume normal operation.

From time to time, we may also ask you to check the status of the system, perform manual system restarts and occasionally change some inverter settings if we can’t do this remotely.