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Is it worth getting a battery with solar panels?

  First of all, it is important to say you do not need to have a battery with your solar panels . It will work perfectly well without them. https://solarshare.ie/products/solar-panels-ireland/If you do not have batteries as part of your solar panel system, you also can get away with a normal inverter and not a hybrid inverter that is required if you have batteries. If you do not know what an inverter is click here for an explanation.   Obviously, if you do not have a battery connected to your PV system, any power your panels generate that you do not

Why do I need a Solar Panel Inverter?

Solar panels generate DC electricity. DC stands for Direct Current. The electric grid uses AC electricity. AC here stands for Alternating Current.  Your inverter ‘converts’ the DC electricity from your solar panels to AC electricity to use in your home. Modern solar panel inverters do a lot more than just convert DC to AC, they also monitor and report on the performance of your solar panel system. If you are using an app to monitor the performance of your solar panels, then that information is coming from your inverter. Another function of inverters is to disconnect your solar panel system

Are solar panels recyclable?

With the massive growth in generating solar power using solar panels many are wondering if we are creating a big problem for the future. What are we going to do with all those solar panels when they reach their end of life. Well, the good news is that solar panels are recyclable. Solar panels typically last for 20 – 25 years and so most panels in use now will not be hitting the recycle bins for many years yet.  When they do it is estimated that by 2050 recycled panels will release about 2 billion dollars’ worth of material for

Is my roof suitable for Solar Panels?

Solar panels collect solar radiation directly from the sun, from the sky, and from sunlight reflected off the ground or area surrounding the PV panel. Orienting the PV panel in a direction and tilt to maximize its exposure to direct sunlight will optimize the collection efficiency.  Here we discuss the issues you need to consider when looking at your roof from the perspective of installing solar panels. Orientation of your roof The orientation of your roof has a significant affect on how productive your solar panels will be. You would think that having a south facing roof would produce the

EV Charger

How many CT clamps are required for the zappi to work with the solar panels and be able to prioritise between charging the battery and the ev? The short answer is that the EV charger (Zappi) and solar battery charger (Huawei) operate independently. The solar PV inverter will supply the house load first, and if there’s anything left over, charge the battery. Once the battery is full, it will start to export. The Zappi will detect the export and start to charge the car. There’s no ability to program the Zappi to charge the car battery ahead of the solar PV

seai grants

SEAI Grants 2022: Solar Panel Grant Ireland | A bittersweet update from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland

A bittersweet update from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) as we move into a new phase of domestic solar PV. Back in October 2021, we published a blog post on the highly anticipated changes to the SEAI grants reportedly coming into affect in 2022. If you haven’t read this post, we strongly recommend you take the time to do so. You will learn about the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) scheme set to be introduced this year; with the primary objective of compensating homeowners for the clean energy they produce and subsequently export back to the grid. These payments are

solar PV ireland photovoltaics

Are solar panels worth it in Ireland?

Are solar panels worth it in Ireland? It’s a frequently asked question. Considering a solar panel in the south of Spain receives over twice the solar irradiance we do here in Ireland: How much do you need for it to be a worthwhile investment? The short answer is that most homes in Ireland do receive enough solar energy – light is sufficient, it doesn’t need to be direct sunlight – to make it a worthwhile investment. And that’s before the environmental benefits are factored in. For the longer answer, please read on… How much electricity will solar panels generate? This

Irish energy

Creating Wealth for Irish Energy Citizens

I’ve just finished listening to a new episode of the excellent Five Degrees of Change podcast by Daniel Murray at the Business Post. For those not familiar with the format, an expert in climate, energy and environment is invited to outline three policy proposals and two personal changes they believe would make for a cleaner, greener world. A recent guest was Mark Foley, CEO of Eirgrid. We’re lucky to have someone of Mark’s calibre overseeing one of, if not the most important piece of infrastructure in the country. The analogy of the road system that Mark uses to illustrate Eirgrid’s remit is helpful, but possibly understates the importance of the work – the morning congestion on the M7 is not an option for any electricity grid. That said, I’d like to explore a point