Solar Panels Bradford

What are the main benefits of solar panels in Bradford? And why should you consider them for your home today?

Lowered Energy Costs

Data shows that those residents in Bradford who have solar panels have their energy bills reduced by 50% on average. Considering Bradford residents have a monthly energy bill of £171.70 on average, this effectively slashes energy bills in half in this area. Assuming a household pays the average Bradford solar panel installation of £6000 to £9000 for a 3-4 kW system, it will take between 5 to 8 years to break even. Solar panels last between 25 to 30 years before they begin to degrade in efficiency, meaning your investment will pay for itself well before it’s even halfway through its lifespan.

That being said, it’s worthwhile noting that you can earn money if your investment goes far enough. When your solar panel setup can not only cover all of your energy bills but also create excess energy, you can use either battery storage or a built-in grid connection to offload this energy to the grid for profit.

The main barrier blocking many from making the switch is the upfront cost. Whilst there are many ways to offset this, such as through our solar finance options or government initiatives, understand that this isn’t an expense – it’s an investment that will eventually pay for itself.

Lowered carbon footprint

Britain has a goal to lower the carbon footprint of the country to zero by 2050 through various means, one of which is pushing renewable energy measures such as solar panels. Unlike the traditional mains gas and electricity, solar panels generate electricity via the sun, a renewable energy resource that has no environmental impact. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), solar power is considered the cheapest form of energy.

The University of Bradford has made some headway in this regard – installing 405kWp of solar panels across its campus, generating 346,841 kWh of green energy. This also saves around £111,000 each year on energy costs.

Protection through independence

Solar panels give you energy independence, which is worth a lot more than people realise. Being independent from the grid means two things:

• Protection from energy cuts – Energy cuts are more common in some areas than others. This disconnection/failure of the grid or infrastructure it relies on means you’ll have to wait until it’s fixed by the government, which can be highly inconvenient.
• Protection from rising energy costs – Between the years of 2021 to 2024, energy bills fluctuated by an extreme degree. In 2021, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused supply shortages, resulting in gas prices increasing by over 80%, and electricity bills rising by 50-60%. Solar panels, however, are completely unaffected by price hikes, as geopolitics don’t affect solar power.

Increasing property value

After the energy crisis, many Britons have realised that they have little control over their energy bills. One of the main ways in which a person can offset this, however, is by increasing the energy efficiency of their household. Energy Performance Certificates act as valuations for the energy efficiency of the building, and those that score higher are in demand, leading to increased property value.

Solar panels improve a property’s EPC rating by between one and two levels out of seven. This boost in EPC, along with the lower operational costs that a solar panel grants to a residential, can increase the value of a home by up to 14%.