Free electricity, sunny or not, here it comes:)

I suspect most people who've had solar panels installed become addicted to watching numbers changing on their meters - sadly, I too make regular trips to the garage wall to gaze at the meters, then up at the sky, then enter the figures in a small notebook.

Well, when you've spent thousands of pounds on 10 glass panels to grace your roof it's only natural to want to monitor the progress, isn't it?

In fact, I don't really think of it as "free electricity" at all, because my bank account is thousands of pounds lighter, so how can I call it free?  On the other hand, once all the paperwork is finalised, I will be paid for generating that electricity whether I use it or not, so, in that context it will be free.

Anyway, you'll be fascinated to know that on the day of installation it was quite overcast, and the team didn't finish work until gone 4pm, yet still those clever little units managed to cull 1.4 units of power from the atmosphere.

The next day had quite a few sunny spells, and they magically produced 8.88 units.  I used the washing machine 3 times that day to make the most of the sunshine (I don't have a tumble drier), yet altogether I only used 1 unit of electricity, so that was pretty impressive I thought.

Today it's raining, so the panels are having their first shower - I hope they wash behind their ears!  Nonetheless, they have already generated 0.3 units, so it's true, you don't need the sun for solar panels to work.  Even on a rainy day something is captured.

So, this is your solar energy bore signing off for today - I may well give you more figures another day - well, count on it, I will:)

Solar Panels - the adventure begins

Yesterday Stephen from Solar Warmth came to measure up my roof to give me a quotation for the installation of solar panels.

The back of my house faces South, the ideal direction for maximising input from the big golden globe in the sky. Consequently, I'd assumed that the sections of the house and garage roofs that face South would be the ones best suited to having the panels affixed.

Not so, in my case!  Stephen explained that because of the design of the roofline, the shadow caused by the house roof in the afternoon would fall on the garage roof, reducing the ability to gain maximum exposure.  Instead he suggested that I would generate more electricity by installing panels on the West facing house roof, which is not overshadowed.  Smart man, Stephen!

I was naturally guided by his expertise, and next Wednesday the team will come and fit ten solar panels to my roof.  I shall take photos and you can share the adventure with me.