Solar PV

Technology overview

Solar 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 or on [email protected] to find out more or fill in our contact form here.

PV panels with van2

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Inverter

PV plant room earlierThe 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 (extendable) 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

PV power diverterDiverting excess electricity to power your immersion heater is an option for any PV system, including ours. This is done using a special component like an "Immersun" or "Eddie" automatic power diverter. Many companies sell this as a benefit of their systems, however, our view is very different.

Heating water using electricity is very inefficient and a poor use of electricity that WILL cost you money. Instead, we recommend that any excess electricity (that you can't immediately use or store in a battery), is exported to the National Grid, where you will get paid for it. At the time of writing in 2025, this tariff is around 20 cents per kWh.

Then, to heat your water, use your boiler or heat pump where you can heat the water for around 7 - 11 cents per kWh, depending on your system and its efficiency. Therefore, on average, you can heat your water for around half the cost of what it would cost you if you divert your solar electricity to your immersion heater. That on top of the saving you make by NOT investing in the diversion unit in the first place!

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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 all our systems are connected to your home's Wi-Fi (pending availability at time of installation) and this will enable you to view your system's production and settings on your PC or via a smart device application.

Contact our dedicated sales team on (098) 42699 or on [email protected] to find out more or fill in our contact form here.

 

  

Technical Information

PV inverter hyb utilityA 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

PV panels installation zincComfort 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. There are a few things to be very careful when installing solar PV which we will discuss below.

 

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