FAQs

The number of solar panels we recommend for your installation depends on various factors, including your existing energy consumption, the available roof or ground space, the level of investment you intend to make and your specific energy goals. Our team will speak to you about these factors and carry out a site survey before making our recommendations to you.

A typical installation ranges in cost from £50,000 to several hundred thousand pounds, depending on variables like the size of the system, the complexity of your installation and the amount of equipment like inverters and mounting structures. However, many businesses benefit from financial incentives like tax credits, grants and rebates, which can significantly reduce the net cost. Our team will advise on these issues and provide a precise quote as part of your project proposal.

Yes, you may be able to apply for a grant. These are usually national or local government schemes relating to sustainability, rural development and economic development. We recommend talking to our team about what is available currently and how you compare to the eligibility criteria.

We only consider domestic installation if it’s in conjunction with a commercial or agricultural project.

No, the inverters we use only operate with a live mains connection. This is a safety feature which prevents electricity from being fed back into the grid during a power outage. If the solar PV system were to continue operating when the mains electricity is lost, it could send power to the grid, endangering utility workers who might be repairing the lines.

On-site generators are not a problem. We need to connect to the grid side of the generator to follow a loss of mains protocol.

Yes, a structural sign-off is a key component to all our projects’ pre-start milestones. You may be able to obtain this from your builder/structural plans. Alternatively, Westwood Energy can conduct a full site survey.

A standard G99 application takes 45 working days. Applications for some large projects may take longer.

No, the grid deems the maximum connected capacity irrelevant of any export limitation capabilities.

Yes, the connected capacity refers to the inverter size in kW. The SolarEdge inverter has the capability of accepting 175% of its output in connected panels.

Your current electrical infrastructure will determine this, including transformer size, incoming fuse size and the grid’s ability to accept your generation.

We use Trina, Tier 1, PV modules. The modules come with a 15-year product warranty and a 25-year performance warranty.

At Westwood Energy, we use black solar panels. Although colour doesn’t affect the performance of the panel, it does add to the aesthetic nature of the install.

Yes, we can supply batteries for three-phase connections, but only on 10kW inverters. We are expecting batteries to become available for larger inverters in 2024.

SolarEdge inverters have been designed to accept a SolarEdge battery after the initial installation. We recommend clients run their system for a year before assessing the need for a battery.

The SolarEdge battery solution is DC coupled, making it more effective than other battery storage solutions. This is also helpful for grid restricted installations.

SolarEdge inverters have many advantages over other manufacturers These include industry-leading warranties, module level monitoring, module level performance, safe DC, a user friendly monitoring portal and fully optimised strings.

SolarEdge inverters use optimisers on the back of panels. There are several benefits to this, including:

• The system drops to 1V per optimiser in the event of a fault
• Increased yield
• Increased design flexibility
• The ability to see each panel’s performance remotely.

Our supplier of mounting equipment has a large selection of solutions to fix panels to almost all roof types and styles. Our team will determine the most suitable PV solution at the survey phase.

Every project is designed using SolarEdge’s design package, giving both the client and Westwood Energy a 3D render of the site, proposed panel layout and estimated levels of production and consumption.

The design software uses years of irradiance data – a measure of the power of solar radiation – giving highly accurate predictions on performance.

Using the SolarEdge optimised system, Westwood Energy can design either avoiding shaded areas or in shaded areas. Thanks to the optimiser, production is limited only to the panels in the shade at any given time.

Yes, we can install panels at different angles and on multiple roof areas. A full survey will determine the suitability.