Frequently Asked Questions
Your questions answered! Here are our frequently asked questions (FAQs). If you can’t find what you are looking for, please get in touch by completing our contact form or call 01329 738032.
Home Solar
Solar PV is made up of an array of cells that generate DC electricity directly from sunlight and the light from the sky (diffuse light) via an electric process that occurs naturally in certain types of material. Solar panels are made of wafers of semiconducting silicon material and a glass-fronted surface with a protective seal coating to prevent water from getting inside.
To convert the renewable energy generated from solar PV to power your home you need an inverter. This converts the DC electricity into usable AC electricity.
As a highly effective renewable energy source, solar generated power is zero carbon and so is kinder to the environment. It’s also kinder to your pocket too as it can significantly reduce your grid electricity costs and enable you to become more energy independent. Once installed, there are no running costs and little to no maintenance required. If you have an electric vehicle, you may also be able to charge up for free using solar generated power.
The cost of solar panels for your home will vary depending on several factors. For example, how many panels are needed, whether you opt for an in-roof or on-roof system, what type of inverter you add, and whether you opt for additional products such as a home storage battery. We can help advise and support you with recommendations, backed up by 3D modelling, to demonstrate the best solutions for your needs and budget.
Solar panels with battery installations are currently VAT free making them more affordable than ever. Request a quote.
The number of panels you will need will depend on your energy usage, the number of people in your home, and the size and direction of your roof. The more panels installed, the more energy you will be able to generate for your home. Generally speaking, a mid-sized family home will require a 3.68kW system, which typically equates to 10-16 panels.
Get in touch to request a design for your property.
We offer on roof and in roof solar panel systems. Learn more about the benefits of each.
Solar panels have a lifespan of around 25 years or more and require minimal maintenance.
The amount of electricity you can generate from solar will be determined by several factors including the positioning of the panels, the size of your solar array, and the amount of light received on any given day. As part of our design process, we will model the output of your proposed system so that you can understand how much electricity you have the potential to generate.
Studies have shown that you could save up to 70% on your electricity costs by using solar generated power. This increases to up to 90% when solar is used along side battery storage as you can then store and use the power at night.
You can also make use of the Smart Export Guarantee scheme to sell excess generated energy back to the grid to further reduce your bills.
All of the systems we use are tried and tested, and very reliable. They require very little (if any) maintenance and are installed by experienced engineers. We offer a 2 year installation guarantee with all of our installs and can offer technical support if required.
No. Although this is the optimum position for maximising your energy generation, almost any side of a roof will generate substantial amounts of electricity. During our site survey we will discuss the positioning of your solar panels and assess any shaded areas to ensure you get the best result from your Solar PV system.
Absolutely. The most power will usually be generated during the summer months with longer days and more sunshine. However, solar panels will also generate electricity using light in the sky, even on a cloudy day, and so they can be used all year round.
No, solar can only generate electricity using the natural light. However, you can use stored generated solar power at night with the addition of a battery system.
Solar panels require very little maintenance as they have no moving parts and a long life span. They have a protective coating on them to help dust and water run away and are considered self cleaning if pitched at greater than 10 degrees. If you find that you have stubborn bird excrement on panels you may want to clean them with hot water, but we advise against using any abrasives or chemicals as these will damage the surface coating and may invalidate your warranty.
As solar energy is only generated during the daylight hours, it would be very difficult to power a house solely on solar power. However, with the addition of enough battery storage, you may be able to power your home the vast majority of the time ‘off grid’. This would be dependent on your energy usage and the amount of power you are able to generate and store from renewable energy.
In most cases you do not need planning permission for domestic solar panels. They are considered permitted developments unless:
- you live in a listed building
- your home’s in a conservation area or an area of outstanding natural beauty. (Panels are permitted in a conservation area as long as they’re not installed on a wall or roof that fronts a main highway)
- the panels protrude more than 200mm from the roof. We always fit within this limit.
- you are having a ground-mounted array.
To learn more about permitted developments visit the Government’s planning portal
Yes we recommend that you do. It will ensure that your billing and estimates can be kept up to date and some providers like Octopus offer favourable tariffs for homes with solar. You will also need a smart meter to take advantage of the SEG scheme.
This is a government backed initiative monitored by Ofgem that guarantees the price of the units of electricity you export to the grid. This export tariff ensures energy suppliers pay you for the excess renewable energy you generate. Learn more about the SEG.
As an MCS accredited installer, you will be eligible to sell any excess generated energy back to the grid as part of the SEG scheme when using Enhance Power Ltd for your solar panel installation.
Battery Storage
We install the well-known brands of SolarEdge and GivEnergy and both have smart systems with apps that help you to track and understand your usage, storage and other insights. Request a quote for a home battery.
Battery storage can significantly increase your energy independence as you can store excess energy you generate from solar for use at a later date, for example in the evening. It can also help you to maximise the amount of energy you can sell back to the grid. If you have an electric vehicle, battery storage will enable you to use your renewable energy to charge your vehicle at a time that suits you.
Yes, you do not have to have solar panels to reap the benefit from a storage battery. You could use it to store energy at off-peak rates and use this throughout the day or to charge your electric vehicle.
Our two most popular products both have long guarantees. The SolarEdge home battery system has a 10-year warranty and the GivEnergy products benefit from a 12-year warranty.
Your storage battery is usually installed in a garage, utility room or under stairs cupboard at a place that’s convenient to you and close to your consumer unit. It is roughly the size of a suitcase (depending on the battery storage system you opt for).
Yes, this is a great way to charge your electric vehicle for free. We recommend Myenergi Zappi or a GivEnergy electric vehicle charger that can utilise your solar or stored energy for charging your electric vehicle off-grid. Speak to us about arranging an EV charger for your home.
Yes, it is possible to add a solar immersion controller to your home so that you can heat your hot water using battery stored energy or excess solar power.
Some of the products we offer do have the ability to work when there is a power cut. You will typically need a larger battery with a built-in backup that would automatically disconnect your system from the grid and kick in with its own power supply if an outage was detected. There are additional complexities to this so please seek advice from us if this is of interest.
About us
Yes, at Enhance Power Ltd we are dedicated to keeping up to date with the latest technologies and best practice accreditations. We are an approved MCS NICEIC contractor, RECC and CHAS accredited, as well as being approved installers for myenergi, GivEnergy and SolarEdge.
We are based in Southampton and service homes in and around the area including Portsmouth and Winchester. View our coverage map.
We are specialists in Solar PV systems, battery storage and electric vehicle chargepoints. We are qualified and experienced electricians with NICEIC accreditation and so can also carry out and certify electrical works when working on your property.
Installation is usually swift and can take as little as 1-2 weeks. We will provide a design and calculations, product specification and arrange scaffolding, as well as undertake all the electrical and installation work to commission your system ready for use.
All solar installations come with a 2-year workmanship warranty and most solar panels have a 25-year product warranty. Battery storage systems typically have 10 or 12-year warranties.
Yes, we have £5m public liability insurance.
