Pure EnvironsCleaner energy, done properly
01753 394167Request an assessment

What we install

Solar PV installation

Roof-mounted solar photovoltaic systems for homes and commercial buildings, designed around your roof and your electricity use.

Request a property assessment01753 394167
A completed all-black solar photovoltaic array on a tiled pitched roof, with bird protection mesh clipped around the edge of the panels and a garden and neighbouring houses beyond.
Completed solar PV array installed by Pure Environs.

How it works

Solar photovoltaic panels convert daylight into direct current electricity. An inverter converts that into the alternating current your house uses. Electricity you generate is used in the property first; anything you do not use is exported to the grid.

Output depends on roof orientation, pitch, shading and the size of the array. A south-facing roof produces more than an east or west-facing one, though east-west arrays spread generation across the morning and afternoon, which can suit a household that is out during the middle of the day.

Panels generate in daylight rather than direct sunlight, so they produce something on overcast days, though less than in clear conditions. Output is lowest in the winter months, when household demand is usually highest.

What we do on a job like this

  1. 01Survey the roof structure, orientation, pitch and shading, and inspect the loft where access allows.
  2. 02Check the consumer unit and existing electrical installation, and identify any work needed before the system can be connected.
  3. 03Model expected annual generation for your specific roof rather than a generic figure.
  4. 04Design the array layout, inverter and cabling, and set out the options where more than one approach is sensible.
  5. 05Install, test and commission the system, and notify the District Network Operator as required.
  6. 06Hand over the documentation, including the electrical certificate and the manufacturer warranties for the equipment fitted.

Worth knowing before you commit

Your roof has to be suitable
Age and condition of the covering matter, because scaffolding and panel mounting are difficult to justify on a roof that needs replacing within a few years. We will say so if that is the case.
Shading has a disproportionate effect
A chimney, dormer or neighbouring tree shading part of an array can reduce output by more than its share of the roof. Optimisers or a different layout sometimes help, and sometimes the honest answer is a smaller system.
Self-consumption matters more than array size
Electricity you use yourself is worth more than electricity you export. A household that is out all day may get more from a smaller array plus a battery than from filling the roof.
Export payments
Electricity you export can be paid for under the Smart Export Guarantee. Rates are set by individual suppliers rather than by government, and you arrange this with your supplier.

On the job

A solar photovoltaic array part-way through installation on a tiled roof, seen along the ridge, with scaffolding in place around the property and bird protection mesh fitted along the edge of the panels.
The same work in progress, with scaffolding up and bird protection mesh being fitted.

Also available

Request a property assessment

Every quotation follows a survey of the building. Tell us about the property and we will arrange one.

Request a property assessment