Solar panels

Solar panels take energy from sunlight, so they only work during the daytime.

Each of your solar panels generates 150 watts on a sunny summer’s day, but that can drop to ten watts on an overcast day in January.

Habinteg’s solar panels do not include a battery. If they generate electricity and you don’t use it at the same time, it goes into the grid. That’s great for the planet but less good for your energy bills.

Understanding watts and kilowatts

A kilowatt is 1,000 watts of electricity. That’s enough to run a one-bar electric fire.

In this guide, we’ll use watts. Energy companies charge for electricity in units. A ‘unit’ is the energy needed to run a one-bar electric fire for one hour.

Each of the Habinteg solar panels makes 150 watts on a sunny summer’s day. Multiply the number of panels on your roof by 150 to find out how much energy your roof can generate.

For example, if you have ten panels: 10 panels x 150 watts = 1,500 watts.

Getting the most out of your solar panels

1) You may need to tell your electricity company that you have solar panels installed. Check their website or customer helpline.

2) Start on a bright, sunny day.

3) Look at your electricity box or smart meter if you have one. You will be using energy from fridges, freezers and devices on standby. Leave the fridge and freezer on. If any devices on standby are safe to turn off, turn them off at the wall. The most common culprits are:

• TVs on standby
• Games consoles on standby
• Microwaves
• Lights left on.

4) The Centre for Sustainable Energy has published a guide to which appliances use the most energy. Pick one of them and ensure your total energy doesn’t go higher than the amount generated. If you have bought a solar energy monitor or use a smart meter, this removes the guesswork.

Start with the biggest items: washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and the oven.

5) Keep track of your energy use. If you have a smart meter, that will show how much energy you are using from the grid. So long as that stays at zero, you are entirely solar-powered!