An average solar panel system can generate both electricity and income. Talk to The Eco Experts and find out how you could benefit from up to £877 a year with solar panels.

In The UK the average solar panel system generates 850 kWs per year per 1kW rated system. For a typical 4kW installation this means around 3,400kW per year or enough to provide most of the electricity to a 3 bedroom home.

The UK's Solar Powered Future

Solar panel technology is becoming more popular and widespread throughout the UK. With the rise of environmentalism in mainstream society solar panel technology is being touted as the future of electricity production. However, many questions still remain about the effectiveness of solar panel systems. Indeed, many are dubious as to whether they can produce enough electricity to meet our domestic needs.

How Much Electricity Can Solar Panel Systems Generate?

Each solar panel system is different, however, for this article we are going to look at average domestic solar panel systems. Domestic systems tend to range from 1 kilowatt (kW) to 5kW in size. Each 1 kW system can produce roughly 850 kW units per year so a 2kW system would create around 1,700 kW units and a 5kW system would create 4,500 kW units.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a typical 3 bedroom house in the UK would use just over 3,000 kW units in a year. So, in theory a 4kW or 5kW system would cover your entire electricity requirement. However, the Feed-In Tariff pays the highest rates for systems smaller than 4kW. Here is an idea of how much each system can produce and how much it will cost:

Does This Work In Practice?

The estimations above are calculated on the solar panels working to maximum efficiency all year round which is highly improbable in the UK. Although solar panels work in cloudy and overcast conditions they are not as efficient as they would be in direct sunlight and, therefore, produce less electricity.

Homeowners with solar panels installed will still be reliant upon electricity from the national grid. Solar panels will obviously not work in the dark and any excess electricity generated in the day cannot be stored to be used at night. However, you can sell excess power back to the Grid and earn an additional 4.5p/kWh on top of the Feed-In Tariff.

Is It Worth Installing The Panels?

Although solar panel systems cannot produce all the electricity a domestic property needs they will help to reduce standard electricity bills considerably and earn money from the Feed-In Tariff. Even a small 1kW system will result in a reduction of around one quarter in electricity bills. Solar panels also have strong environmental benefits as they are renewable solar energy sources which are not dependent upon fossil fuels.

The average solar panel system will create enough electricity to see substantial reduction in standard electricity bills. However, the electricity created by the system will not be enough to cover all the electricity needed in a domestic home year round. Larger solar panel systems can, in theory, generate enough electricity to cover all the demand in a domestic property, but this will depend on the weather and time of year.

To learn more about whether or not solar panels are right for you please fill out the form at the top of this page.