Suntricity Power

Solar electricity is the same as your regular main supply but because it’s generated from sun light it’s clean, silent and from an inexhaustible supply…

“The sun delivers enough solar energy to earth in 15 minutes to supply the whole world with energy for year.”

PV* or photovoltaic modules convert light into dc electricity. An inverter changes the dc electricity into ac electricity so that we can use it in our homes for cooking and lighting etc. The correct technical term for this process is Photovoltaic – or PV for short.

The simplest and most cost effective systems consist of a number of PV modules mounted on the roof or onto a frame on the ground.

What is a Photovoltaic module?

PV modules are made up of specially coated Silicon cells. As light falls on these cells electrons rush from one side of the silicon to the other and an electrical current is created. The more cells there are the more current is generated. When the right number of modules are linked together enough voltage is created to match the system voltage with the mains or grid.

Module type & performance:

Poly Crystalline PV modules rated at 1 kW will generate approximately 750-850kWh per year in the North East climate*, provided the array is south facing and un-shaded.
Poly Crystalline modules are the most commonly used. Poly Crystalline means that the silicon cells are cut from a block made from many pieces of silicon. They have a blue-flecked appearance. Most manufacturers offer Poly Crystalline modules.

Mono Crystalline PV modules rated at 1 kW will generate approximately 850kWh per year. Mono Crystalline modules usually have a white diamond shape between the cells. Mono Crystalline means the silicon cells are cut from a single block of silicon. They are the longest lasting module, most 40 year old Mono Crystalline modules still function at 75% power.

Hybrid PV modules rated at 1 kW will generate over 900kWh per annum.
Hybrid modules comprise a mono crystalline cell with a thin amorphous layer – they are up to 12% more efficient. They have the highest power to area ratio on the market so they are an obvious choice for roofs where space is at a premium.

How the PV system works

The electricity generated by the PV modules is converted from DC to AC by an inverter and connected to your consumer unit. The electricity flows to wherever it is needed to power your appliances. At times when there is more electricity being generated than is needed – it will flow out through an export meter into the grid to be used locally by your neighbors. The meter records the exported electricity and the exported units can be sold to a number of electricity supply companies.

The “clean” solar electricity is always used in priority over electricity from the grid. When the solar panels can’t generate sufficient electricity – at night, for example – electricity is drawn from the grid in the normal way, so you will never be without electricity.

System Types

Roof Mounted Systems Roof mounted systems are the simplest, most cost effective and most popular way to generate your own electricity. They consist of a number of framed modules mounted on a southerly facing pitched roof. The size of the system will be limited by the size of the roof. A typical system will be between 2.5 and 5 kW although with enough roof space – a 10kW is possible. Ground Mounted Solar Arrays Ground Mounted systems are becoming increasingly popular where there is not enough roof space for a roof mounted system or the roof is not southerly orientated. A simple frame is constructed adjacent to the building and the modules attached. Ground Mounted systems perform well due to good ventilation of the modules. We have even designed pergolas, and canopies using modules. Solar Canopies Buildings with south facing windows can over heat in the summer. This 5kW system acts as a sunshade, making the room temperature more comfortable and generating over 4000 kWh per year. On a larger scale this system can be used for car parking. Tracker Systems Tracker systems follow the sun across throughout the day to maximize performance. This results in up to 40% greater output compared with a static system of the same size. Trackers are available in many sizes and by adding different modules an almost infinite number of output sizes can be achieved.