How does solar energy work?

Simply put, solar panels capture the sun’s energy and convert it into electricity for your home. By installing solar panels you can create your own form of renewable, clean energy. 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.

One of the most common questions we get asked is, does Scotland get enough sunlight to generate electricity for my home? The answer is yes! Your solar panel cells don’t need direct sunlight in order to produce energy, they work even on cloudy days. However, the stronger the sun is, the more electricity you generate, providing your solar panel system is well designed and positioned on your property.

Solar PV systems are made up of several panels, with each panel generating around 420W of energy in strong sunlight. Because the electricity used for household appliances is an alternating current (AC), we install an inverter along with your panels to convert DC electricity to AC.

We also supply and install batteries, where you can store your unused energy; so on cloudy or wintery days when your system doesn’t produce as much power as usual, you can take power from your battery instead of the grid. This gives you more control over how you use your energy and where your excess goes.