Saving with npower solar
One of the key benefits of having solar PV panels is the savings you could make on your electricity bills, these are often by around 60% *. The exact saving will of course depend on your energy consumption and the size of the system you install. But for a typical three-bedroom household with an average annual electricity use of 3,300 Kwh1 and installing a 2 kWp solar system, the saving would be £243.592 – or approximately 60% of your electricity bill. Without solar, the electricity bill would be £414.933 .
This example is calculated as follows:
- Total electricity consumption: 3300kWh
- Average annual output from 2kWp PV system: 1500kWh4
- Average consumption of solar PV generated electricity by household: 750kWh
- Average excess electricity exported: 750kWh
- Value of solar electricity consumed by household: £87.50
- Income received from energy exported: £87.505
- Income from Renewable Obligation Certificates: £68.606
Total annual electricity saving: £243.593
| 1kWp | 2kWp | 3kWp | 4kWp | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | Schüco S 170-SP-3 Poly- crystalline PV panels |
Schüco S 170-SP-3 Poly- crystalline PV panels |
Schüco S 170-SP-3 Poly- crystalline PV panels |
Schüco S 170-SP-3 Poly- crystalline PV panels |
| Installed Price (£s) |
From £7,518 | From £11,848 | From £16,286 | From £20,211 |
| Installed price per kWp (£s) |
From £7,371 | From £5,807 | From £5,322 | From £4,953 |
| Estimated Annual Output (kWh) |
765kWh to 867kWh | 1530kWh to 1734kWh | 2295kWh to 2601kWh | 3060kWh to 3468kWh1 |
| Total of average annual household electricity usage (%) |
Between 20% and 23% | Between 41% and 47% | Between 62% and 70% | Between 83% and 94% |
| Annual CO2 saving7 | 329kg to 373kg | 658kg to 746kg | 887kg to 1118kg | 1316kg to 1491kg |
| Enough electricity generated to make...8 | 43,000 cups of tea or 46,000 slices of toast every year! |
86,000 cups of tea or 92,000 slices of toast every year! |
129,000 cups of tea or 138,000 slices of toast every year! |
171,000 cups of tea or 184,000 slices of toast every year! |
- National average household consumption for electricity estimated at 3300kWh per annum.
- Savings calculated, taking into account income from exported electricity and ROC’s and money saved for average annual electricity bill.
- npower’s standard domestic tariff prices for the Midlands distribution area as of April 30th (15.78p/kWh for first 728kWh and 11.67p/kWh thereafter). Calculation is £114.89 + £300.04 = £414.93 including VAT at 5% paying by quarterly cash/cheque. Annual bills and prices shown will vary by region.
- Based on estimated outputs for polycrystalline panels taken from chapters published in Planning and Installing Photovoltaic Systems – A Guide for Installers, Architects and Engineers, published by James & James Earthscan. Publication states that on average a polycrystalline panel will generate an output of between 750kWh and 850kWh for every kWp of installed PV.
- Customers are paid the equivalent price for the energy they export as the follow-on unit tariff rate in their Electricity distribution area. i.e. customers in the Midlands distribution area will be paid 11.67p/kWh for every unit of electricity that they export back to us (Prices as of 30th April 2007).
- Based on RO (Renewable Obligation) – 1 ROC (Renewable Obligation Certificate) awarded for every MWh of renewable generated electricity. Price for current obligation period April 2007 to March 2008 is £34.30 per ROC, as set by OFGEM.
- Guidelines for Company Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emissions annexes updated July 2005, Defra 2005.
- Calculation on cups of tea calculated using npower figures. 1kWh of electricity required to boil 7 litres of water and based on a cup of tea being 125ml, so 1kWh of electricity will provide enough energy to make 56 cups of tea. Calculation on slices of toast based on 1kWh providing enough energy to make 60 slices of toast. All calculations use lowest estimated annual output figures.
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