‘THOUGHTS OF GOING SOLAR’

Eco-investigator and New Jersey native, Alissa MacMillan, seeks to find answers to your everyday questions about tough decisions we all face, when acting in the best interests for the environment. A freelance writer and philosophy lecturer, Alissa is a former features reporter for the New York Daily News and has been living in County Limerick for eight years. Your queries on all matters environmental, are welcome. This week, she focuses on

Q: We’ve been thinking about installing solar panels on our house but keep hesitating for one reason or another, wondering about cost, value and viability. Should we just take the plunge?

A: Your hesitancy is healthy, as is your desire to inquire further. Luckily, you can still take some important first steps from a place of indecision. Eamon Dillane, a consultant on solar power at EmelecSolar, explains that it’s all about education.

“You do have to be realistic,” Dillane says. “A lot of people have pipe dreams, ideas of going offgrid or making big money. But the reality is much more down to earth.

“It’s a technical product that you’re buying,” and what’s required is an understanding of your own home’s power usage and its potential to generate solar power. “You have to assess your site first,” he explains.

You need either the ground space or a good amount of roof space, with a roof ideally facing south or east-west, definitely not north. The roof also has to be “in reasonable condition,” Dillane adds, as the extra weight from the panels and pull from the wind can create a “lift-effect.” What people don’t often realize, he says, is “you have to be in a position to consume what you’re producing.” When the sun shines, you get power; when it doesn’t, or when your supply has run out, you get power from the grid.

Dillane installed solar panels at his home in Monaghan – “yes, we have sufficient sunshine in County Monaghan!” – and recently gave a talk to Engineers Ireland, of which he is a member, on the process. Over the lockdown, he could power his electric car by day, but to keep the extra power he was producing, added a power diverter to heat his water tank and eventually a battery, which stored the excess power, but he’s found the battery has degraded, so it hasn’t been ideal.

He gets about €600 worth of power a year from 16 panels at ground level, leaning against the back of his house. He advises you maximize the number you install, although there are planning laws around this dating back to 2007.

The Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland and Citizen’s Information are invaluable resource for all things solar, he says, including what grants might be available. Beware of “pushy and pricey companies,” which can come and go, Dillane advises, his own set-up totalling about €6,000 and his preferred supplier the 25-yearold guaranteed/web-hosted Solar Edge.

‘INFORM AND FIT’

As for the dream of going offgrid, Dillane doesn’t advise it. For the fitting out of a camper van, it works a treat, and “if you are gas heating and gas cooking and only want to have solar for fridge and lights, it might be doable,” he says, “but you would need battery storage.” But those DIY jobs on houses are “a threat to themselves and to the ESB Network teams working on the power lines.” You must be certified to install solar, as power is being sent back into the system and could overload it. There is a process called “inform and fit” with the ESB Networks and a 28-day waiting period: “They need to know what’s going in and where it’s going in, so they can control things.”

If it’s doable, solar is a good environmental and future-minded decision.

“I hate it when the first question is ‘what’s the payback?’ If you’re looking at it purely as a commercial venture, yes, there is a payback, but it will take 8-10 years,” Dillane says.

For those building new homes with the option to incorporate solar, he often sees some hesitancy, people instead putting €5,000 into an upgraded kitchen. But, if it’s possible to install panels during the build, it will pay off – as energy prices rise, integrating solar will save you lots in years to come. And spare the earth.

Direct your eco related queries for Alissa to info@avondhupress.ie (with ‘Alissa’s Eco-advice’ in the subject line)