With the cost of living soaring, households are looking at ways to reduce out-goings. Changing to solar can reduce your energy bills by up to 70%, but is it possible to run your property on solar alone? This article will explore the possibility and how you do it.
How Much Power do I Need?
The average UK household uses around 4500kWh of electricity per year. This does depend on the amount of electrical appliances, number of people living in the property and size of the property and whether you have high or low usage. For example, your mobile phone uses approximately 2kWh per year, your fridge uses between 400 and 1000 kWh per year and a laptop uses around 15 to 45 kWh per year.
What do I Need to Run my House on Solar?
Well firstly, you need a solar PV system installed. A standard 3-bedroom UK home would ideally have 10x 410W solar panels and a 5kW inverter. You would also need to install battery storage, large enough to cover your daily usage on a low generation day.
If you are looking to stop drawing power from the grid you will be looking to install the largest system your roof allows and installing enough battery storage to run your property on a cloudy, low-sunlight day.
So, Can I Run my Home on Solar Alone?
It is possible to run your home completely off grid, the initial cost of set up will be higher than running a solar PV system that compliments your electricity usage alongside the grid but it is possible.
When you consider your long term return on investment (ROI) the initial outlay becomes minimal as a solar PV system can last in excess of 30 years and batteries up to 15 years each. A standard solar PV system with battery storage usually has a ROI of 6-10 years depending on the size and capacity. With a off-grid installation, your initial costs would be higher as you would be installing a larger solar PV system and would require more battery storage but you would be seeing the full benefit of your solar generation and not paying standing charges or grid supply tariffs.
So, it is possible to run your home solely on solar. If this is something you are interested in doing, call us at SolarTherm UK to arrange a free design appointment and quote.
