Eligible products: Solar panels and solar batteries and air source heat pumps

Regional availability: Scotland only

Overview: Home Energy Scotland offers grants and an interest-free loan funded by the Scottish Government. It aims to make it easier to carry out energy and money-saving improvements to your home. The amount of funding you may be able to claim depends on the improvements you want to make – for example energy saving, renewables systems or secondary improvements.

Loan value: For solar panels, the maximum loan available is £4,750 if taken as part of a package of approved measures, for example with a heat pump.

Grant value: A £1250 grant is available when homeowners install a package of measures such as solar panels and an air source heat pump.

Eligibility: For free, impartial advice on the Home Energy Scotland grants and loans call Home Energy Scotland free on 0808 808 2282 and they will advise on if you are potentially eligible for any financial support for energy saving improvements to your home and further terms and conditions.

Application process: If you’re applying for a Home Energy Scotland loan, you’ll need a quote from an installer to support your application. You can start your loan application now and save it for completion once your chosen installer has been able to provide quotes.

Link to official grant website: https://www.homeenergyscotland.org/funding/grants-loans/

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These panels are European made and come with a 30-year Performance Warranty. They are the latest half cell technology. Implementing half-cut cells in solar panels can help improve the power output of a solar panel system. Half-cut solar cells are exactly what their name suggests – they are traditional silicon solar cells that have been cut in half using a laser cutter.

Since the cells are physically smaller, they are more averse to cracking.

A half-cut cell carries half the current and a quarter of the resistance of a full cell. So a complete half-cell module has the same current but half the resistance of a regular module. Resistance = wasted power, meaning a half cell solar panel can boost output by around 3%.

A regular panel is made up of 3 rows of cells connected in series with bypass diodes. If one cell is shaded, a third of the panel’s output can be lost. But in a half-cut panel, there are 6 rows of cells. So, if one of the cells is shaded, only a sixth of the output is lost.

With a lower current in each cell, there’s less heat concentration.

 Roof space can be saved using half cell technology.