Yesterday, the sun probably received more attention than it has for quite some time. Across the UK, millions of people looked skywards as the moon passed across it, with parts of the country seeing more than 90% of the sun obscured. It was a pretty spectacular reminder of something that’s above us every day, whether we’re paying attention to it or not.

So, while the sun is still front of mind, it seems like a good opportunity to talk about what we can actually do with it.

Modern solar panels convert daylight into electricity that can be used directly in your home. Add the right battery and electricity generated during the day can be stored for later, including evenings or periods when generation is lower. For some homes, particularly through the brighter months, that can mean spending long periods using very little electricity from the grid at all.

There is another side to it that still surprises people. When your panels are producing more electricity than your home needs and your battery is full, the excess doesn’t have to be wasted. It can be exported back to the grid and, through the Smart Export Guarantee, eligible homeowners can be paid for it. Ofgem reported around £57 million in SEG payments in its latest annual report, covering 443 GWh of exported electricity, enough to supply more than 160,000 typical UK homes for a year.

Yesterday’s eclipse actually demonstrated just how important solar has become to our national energy mix. The temporary loss of sunlight was significant enough for Britain’s electricity system operator to prepare for a substantial drop in solar generation while the eclipse passed over us. Twenty years ago that probably wouldn’t have registered. Today, solar is a meaningful part of how Britain generates electricity.

Of course, none of this means every home should simply cover its roof with as many panels as possible. The right system depends on the property, roof, electricity usage, lifestyle and what the homeowner actually wants to achieve. That’s where good advice and a properly designed system become important.

At GJM Energy, we’d much rather help people understand solar properly before they make a decision. It’s why we share real installations, customer experiences and educational content, and why we’ll always recommend what we believe is right for the individual home rather than simply what allows us to sell the most equipment.

Yesterday we stopped to look at the sun.

Today it’ll quietly get back to work.

If you’d like to find out how much of your home’s electricity could come from it, click here to get started

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