Solar installations: a guide for your property

First of all, there are several types of solar panels:

- Photovoltaic solar panels, which produce electricity

- Thermal solar panels, which produce hot water

- Hybrid solar panels, which offer the two functions mentioned above, namely producing hot water as well as electricity

Photovoltaic solar installations convert the energy captured from the sun into electric current. As for thermal solar panels, the energy captured from light is converted into heat.

The inverter converts direct current into alternating current, then prioritizes feeding this current into your building. The excess electricity is either absorbed by the distributor's grid or stored in the battery.

First and foremost, installing solar panels allows you to reduce the use of other energy sources (natural gas, heating oil, electricity, etc.), which will have a positive effect on your expenses: you become your own energy producer!

In addition, solar installations can easily be paired with your existing heating system: the necessary changes, and especially their costs, will therefore be lower.

As for carbon dioxide emissions, the use of solar panels can reduce them considerably. For example, an 8-square-meter collector can avoid emissions equivalent to one ton of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent of 8,000 kilometers of car travel.

Finally, from now on, during the sunniest period of the year (May to September), with thermal solar panels you will no longer need a heating system to meet your hot water needs! The same goes for photovoltaic solar panels during this period regarding your electricity needs. Since battery storage is particularly limited, it is also strongly advised to use as much electricity as possible during the day, when the panels are operating at full capacity!

In Switzerland, our geographic location does not allow us to enjoy much sun throughout the year without needing a heating system. In winter, a heating system is still essential for producing hot water as well as electricity.

You can easily calculate the sunlight rate of your roof at the following link

Once you have determined which type of solar panels to use, it is finally time to install them!

First, it is necessary to determine the required size in order to best meet your energy needs. How? Several solutions are available to you: you can simply take into account the number of people living in the home, or the building's energy certificate, that is, its energy needs.

For example, for a household of 4 people, 6 square meters of thermal panels will on average meet 65% of your hot water needs, and 10 to 15 square meters of photovoltaic panels will meet all of your heating needs!

As for hybrid panels, a surface of 40 square meters will be able to produce hot water while also supplying the electricity needed for your heat pump to run properly.

First and foremost, it is important to know that the Confederation offers support in order to reduce the cost of the installation:

- Small one-time remuneration (PRU)

- Large one-time remuneration (GRU)

- Feed-in remuneration system (RPC)

- Direct marketing

For more information on subsidies, you can click on the following link

A family of 4 people could, for example, when installing solar panels at a cost amounting to CHF 15,500, benefit from support from the Confederation of approximately CHF 5,000.

The cost of the installation itself will vary depending on the household's energy needs as well as the surface to be covered. As a general rule, a household of 4 people should spend on average CHF 15,500 on photovoltaic collectors, in order to meet only its electricity needs, while around CHF 10,000 of thermal panels will be needed to cover its hot water needs.

Did you know that during the year of its construction, the installation will save you on average 20% of the amount invested on your taxes, and will pay for itself on average within 10 years!

First and foremost, it is important to know that it is not advisable to maintain your solar installations yourself. Indeed, they have a long service life (around thirty years on average), provided their maintenance is carried out properly!

We therefore advise you to call on professionals in the field, who will regularly inspect your installations, and will therefore be able to make the necessary repairs if needed.

Solar installations therefore remain in most cases an advantageous solution in many respects. They certainly represent a certain investment, but they pay for themselves very quickly! We nonetheless advise you to call on a professional in the field before committing to any work.

Sources:

https://www.voenergies.ch

https://www.groupe-e.ch

For any questions or requests for further information, do not hesitate to contact us at 021 312 09 32.