Solar panel systems capture and absorb the sun's energy using photovoltaic (PV) cells. These cells convert the light energy into electricity, which can then be used to power household electrical appliances. Naturally, the time of day and amount of light are important factors in the amount of energy produced. Germany is the world leader in renewable energy resources and has a climate fairly similar to ours, which proves that the UK’s level of sunlight can still generate enormous amounts of energy.

Once energy hits the panels, it is then converted and fed through the system as energy. The inverter is responsible for converting the DC current into a mains voltage AC current. The mains voltage then moves into the main household fuse and distribution board via the ‘generation meter’. The generation meter is the mechanism which records the amount of electricity produced by solar energy, this is passed onto the energy supplier to determine the subsidy for Feed-in Tariff (FIT).

The energy can be used to power the use of all your household appliances. Or alternatively, be fed back into the energy grid via a two way meter which keeps track of the energy produced.