Renewable energy and renewable products are big right now – what with news of the energy cash back tariff and the after effects of the Copenhagen summit.  It seems a lot of you are interested in being green at home as our recent #saveenergypledge competition proved.

To help answer some of the commonly asked questions about solar thermal and our Clearly Solar range we took some time with Product Manager Paul Honeyman at Glow-worm to get some information from the experts.

Here’s what we found out:

Sally
Paul, a lot of people seem concerned that installing solar panels is a massive job – just how disruptive is it?

Paul
Do as much research as you can and find an installer you can trust – we have an approved list which means everyone listed has been trained to a high standard.  In an average house – providing there are no additional complications – you should be able to complete a 2/3 panel installation, with a new cylinder, in two days.

Sally
Are solar panels suitable for every type of property?

Paul
Most properties yes – if an appropriate roof isn’t available we even have A frame designs to sit in the garden.

Sally
We’ve been experiencing awful weather recently – just how effective is solar power in the UK with limited sunlight?

Paul
OK, we need to dispel myths here. We may get limited sunshine in the UK, but not sunlight, which is exactly what the panels work on – it’s called diffuse radiation, and will see panel temperatures get very high even on hazy days. Next myth is they won’t work when it’s cold….even when it’s -2 outside, if it’s a sunny winter’s day, the cylinder temperature will be raised to a respectable, useable level – worst case is the boiler tops up the last few degrees, but the important thing is that it’s not working from cold, as would be the case in a home without solar!

Sally
Is there an ideal type of house for solar?

Paul
South facing roof always best, but anywhere between Southeast and Southwest is OK. They should never be installed on a North facing roof in the Northern hemisphere.

Your installer will be able to size the system correctly to ensure you’ve got the right number of the panels in place for your property and requirements.

Sally
Great, thanks Paul – lastly how much will this all typically cost?

Paul
There’s no set cost for installing Clearly Solar panels as the price varies so much with the property type, the installation, the number of panels required etc.  However the price will normally range between £4000 – £5000.

If you have any more questions of the Clearly Solar range check out the product information on our website or leave your questions here for Paul to answer.