Typical Returns
Many people believe that your property has to be south facing with a 35 degree pitch in order for a Solar Photovoltaic System to be viable. Location, roof pitch and roof orientation are just some of the factors that will affect your returns.
The main factors affecting the size and performance of a Solar PV installation are:
- Location of property
- Suitable roof area available (NB Solar panels can also be ground mounted)
- Direction the roof faces
- Pitch of the roof
- Potential shading on the roof from external objects
The Money you make from a Solar PV system is:
- Tax Free
- Index linked to RPI
- Guaranteed for 20 years as part of a Government Backed scheme
- Assignable to new owners of your house (can add value to your property)
As each property is unique, we strongly recommend that one of Carrino Eco's trained energy advisors performs a free survey in order to give you a true representation of what you could expect from a Solar PV system.
Some Examples
Many people believe that a property has to be facing due south in order to benefit from having solar panels. This is a myth. Please take a look at the examples below, which show different roof orientations and associated savings.
| Orientation | South facing roof |
|---|---|
| Roof Pitch | 35deg no shading |
| Size of system | 4kWp (16 x 250w panels) generates 3433.6kWh pa |
| Annual Savings | |
| FIT Payment | £549.38 |
| Fuel Saving | £240.35 |
| Export Income | £77.26 |
| Total Saving | £866.98 |
| C02 | 1476.45kg pa, in perpetuity |
| 20 Year Saving; | Today’s Money £17,339.68; Extrapolated £30,604.00* |
| Orientation | Southeast or Southwest facing roof |
|---|---|
| Roof Pitch | 35deg no shading generates 3089.21kWh pa |
| Size of system | 4kWp (16 x 250w panels) |
| Annual Savings | |
| FIT Payment | £525.82 |
| Fuel Saving | £230.05 |
| Export Income | £73.94 |
| Total Saving | £829.82 |
| C02 | 1413.15kg pa, in perpetuity |
| 20 Year Saving; | Today’s Money £16,596.32, Extrapolated £29,291.99* |
| Orientation | East or West facing roof |
|---|---|
| Roof Pitch | 35deg no shading generates 2921.6kWh pa |
| Size of system | 4kWp (16 x 250w panels) |
| Annual Savings | |
| FIT Payment | £467.46 |
| Fuel Saving | £204.51 |
| Export Income | £65.74 |
| Total Saving | £737.70 |
| C02 | 1256.29kg pa, in perpetuity |
| 20 Year Saving; | Today’s Money £14,754.08, Extrapolated £26,040.49* |
| Orientation | Flat roof |
|---|---|
| Roof Pitch | Flat Roof no shading generates 3075.2kWh pa |
| Size of system | 4kWp (16 x 250w panels) |
| Annual Savings | |
| FIT Payment | £492.03 |
| Fuel Saving | £215.26 |
| Export Income | £69.19 |
| Total Saving | £776.49 |
| C02 | 1322.34kg pa, in perpetuity |
| 20 Year Saving; | Today’s Money £15,529.76, Extrapolated £27,409.54* |
FIT = Feed-in Tariff
*Extrapolated income assumptions FIT payment increases with RPI at 3%pa, Fuel inflation 10%pa
Conclusion
As you can see, a Solar Photovoltaic system may still be viable on an East or West facing roof. Shading and available roof area are currently much more likely to dramatically reduce your potential returns than roof orientation. One of our trained assessors will be pleased to advise you on the viability of your property.
Read about Solar PV sytsems that we have installed for our customers...
