The advantage of choosing a bespoke Solar PV solution
With many solar PV installers operating throughout the region and the UK offering package deals, they can appear attractive but when you dig below the surface a basic off-the-shelf system might not be the right option.
To demonstrate this, we thought we’d look back at one of our installs from a year ago in Benfleet, Essex where we installed solar PV panels on a flat roof and combined it with battery storage to maximise the use of the electricity generated. The client chose SolarTherm UK because we could offer a bespoke service to create a system that kept her property aesthetically pleasing, and we were local and well-informed.
“I would recommend SolarTherm due to good customer service and I felt as though you are a good honest company that wasn’t trying to oversell what was needed.”
One year on our customer is very pleased with the installation of her solar PV panels and battery storage, as the savings achieved have been greater than predicted. The increasing energy costs and higher yield from the system resulted in greater savings.
| Predicted | Actual | |
| System Generation | 11,170.8 kWh per Year | 11,372.40 kWh |
| Year One Savings | £2,046.66 | £3414.60 |
| Year One Export Payments | £178.17 | £62.55 |
| Total Year One Saving | £2,224.83 | £3,477.15 |
The export payments are low in this example as the homeowner used or stored most of the electricity they generated. This means more of the electricity has actually been used by the customer, rather than exported to the grid at a lower rate.
“It has definitely been worth investing in solar for our home. Our electricity use is very high and it has reduced the money that is spent.”
Each year the savings figure is estimated to increase by 7.04%1 approximately so we would anticipate savings of £3,686.46 in year two and £3,908.61 in year three. Over the 30-year lifetime of solar PV system, the average annual savings are projected to be £7,530.11, so the total savings minus the cost of installing the system would be £175,035.60. This figure factors in panel and battery degradation, as well as battery and inverter replacement costs.
Why choose a bespoke Solar PV system?
A bespoke solar PV system will be not only tailored to meet the needs of your home for optimal yield and design, but it will also take into account your electricity usage patterns. Our bespoke systems are designed around you. So with this example, we used our own mounting system for the flat roof to maximise the yield from the panels and help retain the property’s style whilst utilising all the available roof space.
We were also able to design a solar PV system that catered for their usage which included charging an electric vehicle. So battery storage was an essential part of the design to enable the car to utilise the electricity generated from the solar panels on an evening.
So how might the advanced and the basic systems compare? Take a look at the comparison below.
| Basic System | Advanced System | |
| Panels | 29 x 385W Panels with a 30 Year Warranty | 29 x 400W Panels with 30 Year Warranty |
| Inverter | Standard grid inverter with a 7 year warranty | 3 x SE3500 Inverters with 12 Year Warranty |
| Battery | No Battery | Wonderlux 7.2 kWh Battery |
| Year One Saving | £2,650.18 | £3414.60 |
| Average Annual Savings | £6,048.13 | £7530.11 |
| Total lifetime savings minus system cost | £131,203.29 Over 30 Years | £175,035.60 Over 30 Years |
As you can see in the comparison the advanced system offers much greater savings than a basic system which can really add up over the years, with the advanced system averaging £1481.98 more savings per year. Even taking into account the extra cost of the more advanced system, the total lifetime savings are £43,832.31 higher than the basic system. So paying a bit more initially will soon be recouped making it worth the extra investment.
If you are considering installing solar panels for your home, the benefits of a bespoke system designed to work specifically for you are likely to prove a better long-term investment with greater returns. Our expert team at SolarTherm UK have been designing and installing custom Solar PV systems for over 14 years. If you would like to see what we could design for you, get in touch today and we can provide a no-obligation design for your property.
11 The rate of energy price increase is an average of the Office of National Statistics data for the period 2005-2019 – www.ons.gov.uk
