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Install photovoltaic panels:guide, advice, financing and cost

Are you planning to install photovoltaic panels in your home? Whatever your motivations, this clean energy allows many advantages on a daily basis. On the other hand, faced with the proliferation of models on the market and the risk of scams, it is not always easy to make the right choice. Follow the guide.

What are the advantages of installing photovoltaic panels?

Consuming the production of your panels makes it possible to cover all or part of your energy needs. The installation produces electricity as soon as the sun appears and thus supplies all the electrical appliances in your home. In addition, if the production is higher than your needs, the energy is directed to the hot water tank, stored or reinjected into the network.

Operation is simple. The sun's rays contain photons which stimulate the semiconductors in the panels. Semiconductors release electrons and thus generate electric current. The latter is channeled by the electrical wires present in the panels and is transformed into current compatible with the circuit of your home by means of an inverter.

If you choose this renewable energy that respects the environment, know that the result will be better if your roof has a slope of 30° and a southern orientation, without being masked by an obstacle. Your panels will thus benefit from optimal sunlight.

Consume or sell your energy?

To recover the energy produced by your photovoltaic panels, you have three choices:resale, total self-consumption or partial self-consumption.

Total self-consumption consists in conserving the energy produced by your photovoltaic panels for your sole consumption. The electricity produced is used to operate your appliances and the surplus is stored.

Partial self-consumption , or partial resale, consists of consuming your production and reselling your accumulated surplus to the network. This practice has been encouraged since 2017 by means of bonuses, whereas until 2016, the surplus of your production was injected free of charge into the network. However, the amount of the purchase remains lower than that of a total resale and is around 0.10 euro per kWh.

Total Resale consists of reselling all of your production to an electricity producer such as EDF, according to a purchase obligation tariff established for a non-renewable period of 20 years. In this case, the tariff is approximately 0.20 euro per kWh. If this solution remains the most interesting from a financial point of view, it tends to become less so because the difference between the purchase cost and the purchase price of electricity decreases.

Income from the production of electricity is exempt from tax provided that the power of the installation does not exceed 3 kilowatts peak, that the installation is connected at a maximum of two points to the public network and that it not used for the exercise of a professional activity. Otherwise, the proceeds from the sale of electricity are subject to Industrial and Commercial Profits (BIC).

Steps to take

Before you start, some steps must be taken:

  • Declare your intention to your town hall and the network manager, as the project must comply with local planning rules. If you live near a historic monument or in a protected area, find out more from the architects of the Bâtiments de France.
  • When the authorization is issued, you must take out civil liability insurance.
  • It is advisable to call on a professional for the installation, preferably respecting the Quali PV charter.
  • In the case of an electrical modification of the installation, you may be asked for a certificate of conformity.

Which photovoltaic panels to choose?

thin film or amorphous silicon panels are the oldest and best known. Robust, economical and flexible, they adapt to all orientations and inclinations. On the other hand, their yield is relatively low (around 6 to 9%) and they are limited to very specific needs.

crystalline silicon solar panels are the most frequently used thanks to their excellent quality/price ratio. Their lifespan is around 25 years for a reduction in yield of up to 1% per year.

  • Monocrystalline panels are more aesthetic and have an efficiency of almost 18%. On the other hand, they are more expensive and produce less in regions with little sunshine.
  • Multicrystalline solar panels have an efficiency of 12 to 15%. If they are cheaper than monocrystalline, they are also less aesthetic. They are more suitable for large areas and sunny climates.

two-layer, organic or hybrid panels are part of the new technologies. Their production costs are low, but their yield is also low.

The photovoltaic system

The installation is divided into three elements:

  • The panels:they represent nearly 60% of the installation cost. Their production decreases as their lifespan increases. They can be fixed to the roof or built into the frame.
  • The inverter or micro-inverter:it represents nearly 15% of the installation cost. This is a small box that converts the energy produced into adequate alternating current for your home.
  • Connecting the installation to the equipment in your home.

How to choose the right professional to install your solar panels?

The field of photovoltaic panels knows many scams. If it is advisable to call on a professional for the installation, which turns out to be relatively delicate all the same, it is advisable to choose this one carefully.

Think about and prepare your project well, then get quotes and compare offers. Thereafter, call on a quality professional certified RGE Quali PV. He will be able to guide you in the choice of materials and inform you about the preliminary steps. A serious professional will study the solar masks of your installation. In addition, prefer a technician than a salesperson.

In order to ensure the reliability of the selected professional, ask him for his approval number, check the seniority of his company, his ten-year guarantee and contact EDF at 3249 to check that he is known and recognized for his qualities.

What cost and what profitability?

The installation of photovoltaic panels costs between 9,000 and 12,000 euros including tax (including administrative procedures and connection), for 3 kWp solar panels, i.e. 30 m² of surface area. Since 2014, these facilities are no longer eligible for the sustainable development tax credit (CIDD) or the zero-rate loan. On the other hand, under certain conditions, VAT can be reduced to 10% on the purchase of equipment and its installation and some communities offer local aid.

To the price of the installation, it is necessary to add that induced by the change of the inverter every 10 years, which amounts to nearly 1,500 euros. Also include the costs associated with the compulsory subscription of civil liability insurance.

In short, the profitability of installing photovoltaic panels is between 15 and 20 years. On the other hand, with the increase in the cost of electricity, the self-consumption of this energy produced is becoming more and more interesting. Know that you will not make a fortune with the energy produced; installations with optimal sunshine conditions can hope to earn 1,000 euros per year, from which the annual tax for the use of the electricity network of around 60 euros must be deducted.