If you are considering solar panels, there has never been a better time to buy. With government grants and support schemes sweetening the upfront costs, the benefits of solar are a win-win for everyone.

Essentially, the solar panel installer generates electricity from the light that hits it during the daytime. This power is then converted to usable AC current by an inverter, which powers all the standard electrical appliances you have in your home. This includes your TV, kettle, toaster, radio, phone charger and more. The amount of electricity produced varies throughout the year depending on the weather conditions.

Making the Switch to Solar: Where and How to Buy Solar Panels for Your Home

The type of solar panel that is best for you depends on your property and its roof. Both polycrystalline and monocrystalline solar panels are available, with the former using different silicon fragments to create energy whereas the latter uses one single silicon crystal. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages.

Solar panels are installed on your roof and connected to an inverter, which converts DC into usable AC power. The inverter then feeds the electricity into your home, either directly to electric loads or into a power meter that measures its output. Micro inverters that fit on each panel are also available but they are less popular.

If you don’t use all the electricity generated, your system will export it back into the grid, which is great news for our environment and the economy. The six suppliers in Ireland that offer the CEG tariff – Bord Gais, Flogas, Energia, EV Everywhere, SSE Airtricity and Pinergy – pay households 20c per kWh for the excess electricity they export.