SOLAR PANEL installation hit a seven-year high in 2023, with over 161,490 panels installed on UK homes within the 12-month period, according to new analysis.

With demand increasing year-on-year for the past five years, there is now a total of 1.2 million homes equipped with solar panels across the nation.

Solar panels are seen as a positive, money-saving, energy-efficient addition to the home, contributing to their growing industry demand. But do consumers actually know what they create and contribute, and what they mean in real terms for homeowners?

National housebuilder of energy-efficient properties, St. Modwen Homes, reveals all.

What do solar panels actually do?

Solar panels take solar radiation (light from the sun) and convert it into useful energy for everyday functions within the home. Clever cells in the solar panel create electrical charges when they are exposed to sunlight, forming an electrical current that is used within our homes. Essentially, solar panels convert sunlight to electricity.

How much energy do solar panels produce?

On average, one solar panel can produce around 1,763Wh per day. This depends on weather conditions, your location, and the amount of sunlight exposure. If the average house had eight solar panels, this would equate to 14,104Wh per day. But what does that actually mean in everyday life?

282 episodes of Eastenders – The average LED TV uses around 100 watts per hour to run. So, with your solar energy, you could watch roughly 282 episodes of Eastenders every day for free.
16 loads of dirty laundry – A load of laundry uses an average of around 900 watts of electricity to run for an entire cycle. Taking your solar energy into account, you could do around 16 loads of washing for free. Remember, the water cost isn’t included!
564 hot beverages – If you’re a hot drink lover, you will be glad to know that solar energy can contribute to your morning cuppa. On average, you’ll need to supply 25Wh of energy to boil a cup of water, meaning you could make 564 hot drinks per day.
7 tasty lasagnes – Using an electric oven, you can cook an average of seven entire lasagnas with the power harvested from a day’s worth of solar energy. Bon appetite!
2,820 phone juice-ups – Don’t feel guilty about that screentime – it turns out that the energy used to charge your phone can be re-couped via solar power. Using your solar renewable energy, you could technically charge your phone 2,820 times per day. Now that’s a lot of scroll power.
3 loads of dry clothes – During the winter, drying your clothes can be a nightmare. But by using your daily solar energy, you could dry your washing in the tumble dryer three times per day.
15 post-dinner clean-ups – Washing the dishes is a universally disliked chore – hence the creation of the dishwasher. But, it can use a fair amount of energy. Luckily, with the help of solar, you can run the dishwasher 15 times a day for free.

What are the other benefits of solar panels?

Besides collecting and harvesting the power of the sun, being the proud owner of solar panels does offer additional benefits.

Saving money – Utilising solar energy often means you can reduce your energy bill overall. This saving can be boosted if your solar panels are attached to a re-chargeable battery, as it can be used to power your home even after the sun has set.
Increasing home value – According to a recent study, installing panels could add an additional 14% to the value of your home. Plus, 65% of prospective homebuyers in the UK said they were ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to purchase a home with solar panels – so they might just help you sell your home, too.
Being more eco-friendly – By installing solar panels to your property, you are directly reducing your carbon footprint. The average solar panel system saves around 1.3 tonnes of carbon per year, meaning your carbon footprint is reduced – benefitting both you and the planet.

>> Read more about solar panels in the news

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