The solar panels that Cool Power uses are based on the same basic principles as the solar cells on many pocket calculators or parking meters. These are called PV or photovoltaic cells (photo = light, voltaic = electricity). When sunlight strikes a PV cell, the semiconductor material generates electricity.
No. Solar PV generates electricity that can be used by any appliance in the house, whereas solar thermal only generates hot water for use in the house. Having the ability to generate electricity yourself moves you one-step towards energy independence, saving you money and greatly reducing your carbon footprint.
Yes, Cool Power can design and supply PV systems that can be used to work in conjunction with solar thermal.
Yes. Modern day silicon is now so advanced that it captures a far greater percentage of the sun’s energy and generates much more electricity, even in cloudy weather.
When it is cloudy, your solar panels can also generate power from diffuse sunlight. Ireland has plenty of this kind of sunlight. Cool Power uses the latest products and technologies to increase efficiency in diffuse sunlight.
Yes! In fact, Cool Power has a number of clients who use solar PV to power their heat pumps and this increases the overall efficiency of your system. One of the benefits of doing this is that you use your own zero-emissions electricity to power your heat pump, and thus you can further reduce the carbon footprint of your heating system.
Yes, you could consider installing PV and these two technologies work well together. However, you should also install Cool Power’s product EMMA that was designed to manage the consumption of power from wind turbines. With EMMA (which stands for Energy and Micro-generator Manager) you will not lose any of your valuable power to the grid and you do not need any batteries to store the power.
An average home consumes about 3,000 to 4,000 kWh per year. Cool Power can help you analyse your electricity bills and match the size/power of your solar PV system to your consumption. If your energy needs go up, for instance as your family grows or you extend your house, it is very easy to increase your solar PV system so you get even more electricity from it.
A Cool Power registered installer can install the entire system in approximately 1-2 days. For new buildings or extensions, the installation process is even faster and simpler, because the installation takes place within your existing construction cycle so the process of wiring and connection is even more straightforward.
Visit our Case Studies page to look at some completed projects.
Yes. When you buy the Cool Power Flat pack system, we supply all the component parts necessary. We also offer a complete installation service, using our countrywide network of approved and experienced installers. If you would prefer your own builder or electrical contractor to install it for you, we can advise and instruct them.
Experts recommend that you should only install solar PV with Cool Power’s EMMA. Standard solar PV systems divert any spare electricity into the grid, where it is of no value to you. With Cool Power’s unique Energy and Micro-generator Manager (EMMA) any spare electricity is seamlessly diverted to your electric hot water immersion heater and/or storage heating, towel rails, under-floor heating etc., EMMA makes your PV system more economic to run and gives you more savings on your energy, bills and CO2 emissions.
Generally speaking, the panels should be on a south facing wall or roof, though you will still get good results if they are anywhere between south-west and south-east.
The panels also need to be mounted at a tilt angle of 30° to 40°. The quickest and most economic solution for roof-mounted panels is to follow the slope of the roof. If your roof does not face a suitable direction, you can alternatively use a wall or ground mounted system.
Shading consideration is important. Any shading from trees or buildings should be avoided, because it reduces the efficiency of the solar panels and can result in a noticeable loss of energy.
Under current planning laws you do not need planning permission for typical roof-mounted systems that are in line with your roof. Ground mounted systems for domestic houses generally do not require planning permission.
Currently, the installation of solar PV arrays up to 12 square metres aperture area, or 50% of total roof area (whichever is less), are exempt from planning permission development, subject to the following conditions:
Similarly, free-standing arrays (i.e. not building-mounted) of up to 12 square metre aperture area are also exempt from planning permission, subject to the conditions that:
These exemptions are unlikely to apply to a listed building. In this case you may still need planning permission for a roof-based system. One solution would be to have a free-standing system away from the building.
Unlike other forms of renewable energy such as wind, biomass boilers, woodchip pellet boilers or CHP there are no moving parts associated with PV panels. Cool Power’s PV systems are extremely durable, with no hidden running costs.
Manufacturers typically give a 20-year output warranty. Systems are likely to continue to work for 50 years.
PV is a long term investment with a typical return on your investment of 5 to 15 years. However the PV system will continue to generate renewal electricity and reduce your carbon footprint over its entire life.
Yes, very substantially so. In a study reported in Engineers Journal (Volume 62, Issue 9, November 2008) Patrick Murphy (in his final year of Mechanical Engineering at University College Dublin) and Dr. David J. Browne CEng posed the question "Is photovoltaic electricity generation a viable technology with regard to reducing carbon emissions in future?" Their analysis concluded that it is, "overwhelmingly so". They state that "Given the figures obtained for the carbon payback time for solar panels (between one and three years) and the lifetime of panels (between 25 and 30 years) it is clear that a solar panel will stop the production of much more carbon dioxide (by means of replacing fossil fuel production) than was taken to produce it."
Check our Grants page and with SEI (www.sei.ie) where grant aid may be available under schemes such as the low carbon house scheme.
On a sunny day, a square metre of the planet’s surface receives about 1,000 watts of energy from the sun.
If we could harness all that energy - even in a relatively cloudy country like Ireland - we could easily power our homes and offices for free.
The solar panels that Cool Power uses are based on the same basic principles as the solar cells on many pocket calculators, orbiting satellites and space stations. These are called PV or photovoltaic cells (photo = light, voltaic = electricity).
When sunlight strikes a PV cell, a certain portion of it is absorbed within the semiconductor material, creating an electric current.
Modules simply refer to a group of PV cells that are connected and packaged in one frame or solar panel.
Cool Power is the only company in the world with experience of operating grid-connected solar PV systems in the Irish environment.
We install the PV modules on your building at no cost to you, and we connect the system to the national grid. Then you get cheap, clean energy from the sun. Alternatively, if you opt to buy the system, from then on you get free solar electricity.
No. Unlike other forms of renewable energy such as wind, sunlight is silent – and so are our solar panels.
While wind turbines have attracted some criticism for their noise, solar PV panels and the electricity generation systems that we use do not produce any noise pollution.
Our solar PV panels have no moving parts – hence no noise, no decibels, no disturbing the neighbours and no worries about affecting wildlife in your area.
Our solar panel systems are designed to blend in with the Irish landscape.
They are based on standard modules (about 80 cm x 1250 cm) that are slate coloured and can be relatively easily fixed to your existing roof or to a frame on the ground.
Our solar energy systems
Our systems operate at continuous maximum output. But from time to time, particularly during summer peaks or if your house is empty for a time, the system will generate power that is surplus to your requirements.
Cool Power is Ireland’s first operator authorised to connect solar powered electricity generators to the national grid. And because our systems are grid-connected, any electricity can be seamlessly and efficiently exported to it.
At present the ESB doesn’t pay you for this surplus. So rather than all that extra electricity going straight to the grid, it makes economic and environmental sense to store the spare energy for future use in your home
As part of your energy management system, we install a device called an Energy and Micro-generator Manager (EMMA) that diverts as much of this surplus energy as possible to your hot water tank, immersion or underfloor heating etc.
This is a licence from the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), the independent body which regulates Ireland’s energy sector and oversees its liberalisation.
The CER licenses companies to generate and supply electricity. It has authorised Cool Power to sell electricity throughout the country, and we are the first company in Ireland to obtain for our small to medium-sized photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine generators:
Yes. Cool Power is the first authorised operator of grid-connected solar PV (photovoltaic) systems in Ireland. Our PV systems are designed specifically for Irish regulatory and environmental conditions, including the rigorous standards of ESB Networks.
We are the only company in Ireland who have experience in working with ESB Networks to connect solar PV electricity generation systems to the national grid.
Cool Power is also the first holder of a licence from the Commission for Energy Regulation to connect small-scale renewable energy generators to the grid. After obtaining the licence, we worked with ESB Networks to install the country’s first ever small import/export meter in the Green Building in Dublin’s Temple Bar.
Our systems have ESB Networks approved inverter controllers – the equipment that enables surplus electricity from your system to be diverted seamlessly to the grid.
ESB Networks is a separate business unit within the ESB Group which serves all electricity customers in the Republic of Ireland. It owns and operates the country's electricity network - the national grid.
For a retro-fit in an average domestic dwelling, we can install the entire system on your roof, wire it up and have it connected to the grid within about two days.
Our solar PV panels are based on standard modules, and the roof installation work is simpler than putting in a roof window (which would involve cutting into your attic).
For new buildings the process is even faster and simpler, because the installation takes place within your existing construction cycle and the process of wiring and connection is even more straightforward.
Customer enquiry forms are available on the Contact page.
Complete and return yours today to get a solar electricity quote for your home or business.