Solar Panels
Solar energy can help you become more sustainable in the workplace, use less carbon while also cutting your electricity bills. Powering your office, classroom or warehouse with solar panels is better for the environment than using fossil fuels and can reduce your reliance on the grid. Sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation, your electricity costs will be reduced along with your carbon footprint, as solar electricity is low carbon and a renewable energy.
Solar electricity panels, also known as photovoltaics (PV) consists of many cells made from layers of semi-conducting material, most commonly silicon. When light shines on this material, a flow of electricity is created, however the cells don’t need direct sunlight to work and can even work on cloudy days. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is generated.
Solar PV systems are made up of several panels with each panel generating around 355W of energy in strong sunlight. The power generated is direct current (DC) electricity and via an inverter, is easily converted to alternating current (AC), the type of power we need for our appliances. The electricity can be used throughout the business or exported to the grid.
Power Purchase Agreements
A Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is a contractual arrangement between two parties, where one party sells the electricity generated from their renewable energy facility to the other party. Usually, the seller is the owner of the renewable energy project, while the buyer is commonly a utility company or an electricity trader.