Solar PV

Technology overview

solar-panelSolar electricity is created by using Photovoltaic (PV) technology, converting solar energy into solar electricity from sunlight. PV systems use sunlight to power ordinary electrical equipment, eg. household appliances, computers and lighting. This will reduce the amount of electricity that you need to purchase from your electricity supplier, which in turn will offset the installation cost of the PV system.

The photovoltaic (PV) process converts free solar energy directly into solar power. This is very different from solar thermal technology which is used only to heat water. Solar PV micro-generation systems can be hugely cost effective for many Irish homes and we'd love to discuss this with you if you're interested in a PV system for your home. As with all our systems and services, we offer honest advice and are committed to providing the best service on the market. 

Contact our dedicated sales team on (098) 42699 to find out more or contact us here for more information.

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Inverter

Solis InverterThe Invertor is a critical part of the PV system. This is what makes the newly generated power suitable for use in the home and also for exportation to the electricity grid. The cable tails come in from the panels and enter the inverter. Here the power is converted from DC to AC power and makes it ready for use and is then cabled into the home's fuseboard.

Our inverters have a 5 year warranty and are EN50438 certified with the Irish Variants (ESB Networks looks for this certification, when filling out the necessary NC6 Form). This is very important in terms of ESB Networks allowing you to connect your new PV system into the national grid. 

When working with Comfort Solutions Retrofit, you'll never have to worry about any of these things as we will ensure that everything works smoothly and as it should and we hope that you'll consider us when considering a PV system.

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PV for hot water

manufacturing1Many households prefer not to export their surplus electricity to the grid. Comfort Solutions Retrofit make it a very simple process to use any surplus power to provide hot water to your regular cylinder. In fact, Solar PV systems offer some advantages over solar hot water systems for heating water! There is no need to change the cylinder, no water system running up to the loft requiring regular maintenance or anti-freeze.

In order to effectively use any surplus electricity, we need to incorporate a special diversion devices into the system. Such devices have been developed specially for the purpose of divert power into your immersion heater and heating your cylinder. 

As and when surplus solar electricity is generated and begins to divert to the grid, the diversion device monitors it and once 50W or more is being exported, will automatically divert the power into your immersion heater. This means your water will be heated using surplus electricity, thus reducing wastage and your hot water bill.

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Advanced Monitoring

OWLPVoptions2So your home is producing electricity....but how do you know what it's producing? Well, we knew you'd ask and we've made it easy. Any system we provide will be able to display what electricity is being generated and we can offer this via a remote Smartphone App as well! 

Contact our sales team today on (098) 42699 to find out more about our Solar PV packages or click here to email us.

At a basic level and without any additional cost, all our inverters provide monitoring of your system's electricity generation. Information such as how many units were produced on any given day, month, etc. can be accessed via the display on the inverter. This enables the user to see what their system is producing in an easy-to-read format. For obvious reasons, this is most effective when the inverter is installed in an easy to access area and therefore not in your attic.

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Technical Information

New ImmerSUN DiagramA PV cell consists of two or more thin layers of semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon. When the silicon is exposed to light, electrical charges are generated and this can be conducted away by metal contacts as direct current (DC). The electrical output from a single cell is small, so multiple cells are connected together and encapsulated (usually behind glass) to form a module (sometimes referred to as a "panel"). The PV module is the principle building block of a PV system and any number of modules can be connected together to give the desired electrical output. PV equipment has no moving parts and as a result requires minimal maintenance. It generates solar electricity without producing emissions of greenhouse or any other gases, and its operation is virtually silent.

The solar PV modules generate Direct Current (DC) which must be converted into Alternating Current (AC) for use within your home. An Inverter is used to convert the electricity from DC to AC. This looks a bit like a small meter box and is usually located in your attic or plant room (generally as close to the panels as possible) Solar PV systems are rated in kilowatts (kW). A 1kW solar PV system would require 3 or 4 solar PV panels on your roof (or perhaps in your garden or other suitable location). The generated electricity feeds any electrical loads in your home, and any excess can be stored (in a battery, or perhaps diverted to your hot water cylinder) or exported from your house into the national electrical grid for general use.

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Installation & Maintenance

Maintenance photoComfort Solutions Retrofit offer very high-quality Solar PV systems and installations. Through our dedicated team of qualified and vastly experienced electricians and roofers, we will install the system to the highest possible standards and carry out full commissioning and customer handover procedures. Maintenance is minimal on our PV systems but should our customers ever need repairs or maintenance, we are committed to looking after this requirement also.

Most of us have probably owned or at least seen a solar PV system without even recognising it. Solar-powered garden lights, battery chargers and roadway warning lights all use PV technology to generate electricity. These systems would not normally be grid-connected but use batteries instead to store the solar power.

 

For more information on a solar PV for your home, please contact us here or call our dedicated sales team on (098) 42699.