Since the start of the energy crisis, new Solar Photovoltaic installations have seen a sharp increase as members of the public look to reduce their energy costs.

Unless you were lucky enough to have PV installed in 2010 when the UK Government would pay you 41.4p per kW Hour that was exported onto the National Grid, the advantages of Solar versus the cost of installation look, on paper, to be a very long-term investment indeed. Especially when the feed-in rate was dropped to just 3.79p per kWh in 2019.

According to Chris Hewett, Solar Energy UK Chief Executive, domestic solar installations almost doubled in 2022 compared to 2021. The data for 2023 is likely to show that this rise will continue.

Along with the ever-rising cost of electricity from the National Grid, there are a few key factors that are creating this resurgence in a market that at one point looked to be dying out.

The cost of materials for Solar installations such as the panels themselves have taken a dramatic reduction in their cost since they first came onto the Electrical installation market, but the big game changer for Domestic PV installation must be the addition of battery storage.

Unless you are at home during the day when the PV panels are generating their peak power, you are likely to be exporting most of your generated energy back to the grid for very little money then, paying the high rates for electricity when you return from work. Electrical Energy Storage Systems (EESS) can be integrated into the PV system and store up this unused energy that they are creating for the homeowner to use when they need it.

As an example of just how much EESS could save a homeowner on an average day let’s look at some figures.

The current rate for electricity is 31.7p per kW Hour. If a battery system was to be installed with a capacity of 11kW then this stored energy would save £3.48 per day or looking at the bigger picture £1272.55 per year.

As well as saving money there is also the environmental impact to be considered of less carbon being used by reducing the amount of electricity required from the National Grid, the installation of PV with Storage is a long-term investment that can take 5 years plus to pay for itself at the current rates.

However, it is still not known what could happen with energy costs as the sharp rises of the last few years don’t look to be going away anytime soon and if anything, looking at most daily necessities such as food and petrol prices they will probably continue to rise so now may be the time to look at investing in the PV market once again.

XS Training can help Electricians expand into this growing market

At XS Training we are delighted to announce that we will very soon be offering courses for both the installation of Solar Photo Voltaic Panels and Electrical Energy Storage Systems, in our new premises in Leeds.

This will be delivered from the awarding body LCL and is one of the current qualifications required to gain MCS accreditation. MCS is required by many energy companies for any excess energy that is exported back to the grid to be paid to the customer. We can offer this as separate courses or as a combination of the two.

Along with the exciting new qualification packages for PV and EESS, XS Training offer a wide range of Electrical course for both experienced Electricians looking to add to their existing skill set or those starting out on the journey to becoming qualified in this booming industry.

Call us on 0800 170 0294, or click here NOW to gain more information.