Frequently asked questions
About our Solar Panels
Yes, all mounting and fixings systems we install shall be watertight and any penetrations made good. If any leaks are found near the panels post install, call us and we can take a look to rectify the issue.
This issue does get raised from time to time. We can offer ‘all black’ panels, rail fixings and bird guards around them. This can improve the look. Or even go for a flush in roof system that will blend in much better.
You can still generate great amounts of electricity on East and West roofs, this is because the Sun rises in the East and Sets in the West. So your generation will be slightly lower more linear across the day.
Simple answer, yes. The panels work using the irradiance from the Sun as opposed to light itself. You will see some drops in performance, but they will still be generating some energy.
Your electricity provider, maybe able to offer you a government based incentive known as the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG for short), you could get paid up to 0.23p per kwh depending on your provider. Some energy companies just require some MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) paperwork and certificates to enable this, which we can provide.
Frequently asked questions
About our Battery Storage
Yes, some manufacturers have a sufficient Ingress Protection rating to be sited outdoors. Although, this has the potential of affecting the performance of the cells.
Where possible, we try to fit them in a garage or utility room, but generally somewhere away from habitable rooms and keeping aesthetically pleasing as practicable, whilst following manufacturers guidelines.
Yes, most battery systems have the ability to either connect a socket outlet to them, or redirect existing low power circuits such as lighting, heating and internet, to be used in the event of a grid power cut. Speak to your designer about adding this to your package if required.
In most cases, no, but there are manufacturers on the market that have the ability to cope with around 10kW of demand through the battery inverter. We tend to advise using appliances one at a time to make better use of the inverter and make the batteries longer lasting.
Our expert team would be able to guide the way with this, when we design your system, we try to minimise the amount of electricity you would export and store it for use later. We do this using data from your Solar panels and consumption.
We sometimes propose more batteries in your property if you intend to use a cheaper/greener tariff to charge them.
Frequently asked questions
About our EV Charging
Yes, we can put back-office systems in place to allow you to charge for the energy they use. Whether through an app, or use of RFID cards/fobs that can be topped up as necessary.
During our survey stage, we can establish this to see what the limitations are. If needed, we can program the chargers to ‘dynamically load the balance’ against your supply. What this means is if they detect your supply is close to the limit, the units simply de-rate or turn down until the capacity has been restored.
This is an option but there are things to bare in mind when charging this way:
Your charging cable may not have the built in safety devices that would disconnect the car in the event of an electrical fault, generally a Mode 3 EV charger would have this either built in or part of the installation process.
It could possibly take twice as long to charge a fully electric car using this method as you would be limited to the 13amps supply from the socket outlet being used.
Although, a socket outlet is rated to 13 amps of current, they may not have been designed to be run at the limit for 10-20 hours constantly, and used 2-4 times per week. This could cause overheating and even burning of the socket/plug top, which can be very risky. A mode 3 EV charger has been designed for this type of use.
No, most home chargers can be set to ‘plug and charge’ for ease of use. Commercial and public chargers are also available for use with contactless payment machines to avoid this. Although, smartphone apps are becoming increasingly more user friendly.
Every car has a different size battery that is measured in kilowatt hours (kwh). For most home chargers you can charge at a rate of 7kW / 20-25 miles of range per hour. This means that if you have a 70kwh battery, it would take around 10 hours to charge.
This is generally fine when you charge overnight or at work. There are faster charging points available away from your home and come in different power ratings around the public areas.
Frequently asked questions
About our LED Lighting
We can usually carry out the work with just some local isolations in the area we are working in just on the lights. Meaning you can still use plug sockets and appliances.
Smart microwave or Passive Infrared Sensors can be fitted to/with the lights if needed. This means they only turn on if someone is in the near area/room. Then turn off automatically after a pre-set time.
Immediately, as your old lighting is most likely running at a much higher wattage than LED, and have more of them, straight away you are using less energy to power them.
The vast majority of LED lights we install are known as ‘chip on board’. This means there is no actual lamp/bulb to swap, it is built into the fitting. They are also designed to have a longer lifespan and generous product warranties.
Frequently asked questions
About our Electrical Services
What we could do is carry out and provide an electrical installation condition report of the third parties work. Any additional work required could be carried out by us, we would then provide an Electrical Installation Certificate along with a Part P building notification (where applicable) upon completion.
Yes, we can carry out what is known as an Electrical Installation Condition Report on the property. This is like an MOT for your property’s electrical installation. It will outline in detail the current condition, any defects found that could affect safety, and advise on any improvements that are recommended.
After the report is completed, it will summarise as either Satisfactory, which means there may be some points for improvement but still classed as safe for continued use. Or it could be Unsatisfactory, which means there are defects found that need to be rectified as soon as practicable or immediately (dependant on the severity of the defect).
Either way, following the report, we can provide quotations to rectify any issues found.
Get In Touch
We provide up-to-date, cost-effective products and solutions that make renewwable energy accessible to all.
Fill out the form below, and our experts will provide personalized recommendations and answer any of your questions.
01325 787272
office@go2renewables.co.uk
6 Northfield Way, Newton Aycliffe, DL5 6EJ