Solar PV panels have long been a popular renewable technology among self-builders and renovators. Thanks to a mixture of government incentives and falling technology prices, demand for solar photovoltaics (PV) has boomed over the last decade.
In some cases,solar panels can become the actual roof. This is known as BIPV, building integrated solar panels. They improve sale-ability by reducing the building’s electricity costs. The financial benefits of solar installations in new builds are significant.
For new builds and self-builds, you'll likely be looking at solar photovoltaic panels and/or solar hot water (solar thermal) systems. Instead of looking at options to traditional heating systems, solar panel installations can be added to new builds to improve the EPC and overall energy efficiency.
Not all roof types are suitable for solar panels. Solar panels work best when they can get as much direct sunlight as possible. In the UK, we are in the northern hemisphere. This means that the sun is above the equator and therefore your solar panels will be most effective if they are south facing.
Today, when building a new home, it is required that you include energy saving measures and offsets such as cheap new build solar panels. These include solar panels or solar thermal systems. Solar panels do not need to detract from the attractiveness of your new build.
Depending on the system you use, you can expect to require around 8m2 of roof space per kWp. As a rule, 1kWp of solar PV panels installed on a south-facing roof at a good pitch will provide around 800-1,000kWh of electricity per year.