We Green - FAQ

General questions

What is the difference between We Green Invest and We Green?

We Green Invest Is a third party investment company which finances all the costs in terms of installing solar panels. If you use this company, you pay €0 for your installation, you will benefit from electricity at a lower price than what you pay on the network. The investment company will therefore be paid in green certificates because you will have to transfer the ownership rights to your roof to it during the first 10 years of the contract, then it is up to the customer. Throughout the contract, no costs are to be expected on your part. We Green takes care of everything.
Whilst We Green Is the Company that will install the solar panels on your roof, or the electrical terminals and storage batteries in your home and takes care of maintenance and technical problems.

What is solar self-consumption?

Self-consumption is a key concept in the field of solar energy. It's about thedirect use of the energy produced by your own solar panels, at the same time as it is generated, without sending it back to the electrical grid. This means that you consume the solar electricity you produce, which reduces your dependence on the national electrical grid.

On average, solar panel owners consume around 37% of the electricity they generate. The surplus is generally sent back to the network. However, by installing a storage battery and a charging station, it is possible to increase this self-consumption rate by up to 80%.

Is the quote free?

YES.
You don't have to pay anything until you sign a contract.

What to do in case of problems or breakdowns?

All our installations are controlled remotely. As soon as there is a problem, we are notified. We will try to fix the problem remotely and if this is not possible, we will respond to your home within a maximum of 48 hours.

What happens if I sell my property or rent it out?

The price of the installation is directly reflected in the price of the house because a house with solar panels is more energy autonomous. So there is a transfer of ownership of the solar panels.

Solar panels

How do solar panels work?

A solar panel, also called a photovoltaic panel, is a device that generally measures 1m70 by 1m on average, and that converts part of the solar radiation into electrical energy. There are two types of photovoltaic panels. On the one hand, mono- and polycrystalline panels, which represent 90% of the current market, and on the other hand, thin film panels.
Photovoltaic solar panels absorb energy from the sun and transform it into direct electrical current. This direct current then passes through an inverter that will convert it into alternating current in order to be usable in the home.

What are the benefits of investing in solar panels?

Installing solar panels at home provides both ecological and economic benefits. You produce natural, non-polluting electricity, which contributes to a drastic reduction in the carbon impact on the environment and helps to protect the planet and prepare a more pleasant future for future generations. You will also save money on your electricity bills.

Monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels

These panels are made up of 60 to 120 photovoltaic cells, manufactured using a semiconductor material: silicon. It is the most abundant chemical element on Earth after oxygen, it is found in the Earth's crust, in the form of sand or quartz. Quartz, the second most abundant mineral on Earth.
How do you make a monocrystalline or polycrystalline solar panel?
We start by mixing sand or quartz with wood, and this mixture is brought to a very high temperature in order to obtain silicon. But at this stage silicon is not yet ready to be used in panel manufacturing. It is still necessary to purify it chemically, the leather again to form ingots, cut these ingots into slices thinner than a hair, doping the silicon with Boron and Phosphorus and printing an electrical circuit on the cell. Photovoltaic cells of a solid dark blue color are thus obtained for monocrystalline cells and cells having the appearance of a mosaic for polycrystalline cells.

How do solar panels convert the sun's rays?

In fact, this conversion is made possible thanks to the silicon that makes up the cells. Like all the matter that surrounds us, silicon is made up of atoms that have the particularity of silicon and that the electrons that orbit around these atoms are agitated in all directions when exposed to the sun's rays, which generates an electrical voltage. But this is not enough to create electricity. It is necessary to force the flow of electrons in a very specific direction. We will therefore create a surplus of electrons on the upper layer of the cell by doping it with phosphorus atoms that have more electrons than silicon.
On the lower layer of the cell, boron atoms are placed, which have a deficit of electrons. Thanks to this, when light reaches the solar panels, electrons flow from the upper layer to the lower layer of the cell, creating an electric current. In concrete terms, most monocrystalline panels have an efficiency between 18 and 24%. Of course, the more sunlight your panels are exposed to, the more electricity they will generate. Therefore, in cloudy or snowy weather, your panels will continue to produce but in less quantity than during a nice summer day. However, solar panels don't produce electricity at all during the night. If you want, you can install lithium batteries that will store the electricity produced during the day and provide it back to you at night.
Now, we are going to see all the elements you need for your solar installation. As we have just seen, solar panels generate electricity when exposed to light. But to be quite precise, they produce direct current, and your house and the electrical grid use alternating current. So how do we do it? All you have to do is add a photovoltaic inverter that converts direct current into alternating current. The solar panels are connected to one or more inverters and then to your electric meter. For a solar panel to produce the most electricity, it must be optimally placed to receive as much light as possible. Before dimensioning a photovoltaic installation, various factors must be taken into account. It is necessary to take into account the available area to determine the maximum power of the future installation. Orientation and inclination should also be considered to maximize electricity production during the year.

How long does it take to install a photovoltaic system?

The average time between the moment you start the procedures (signing the contract) and when you have an operational photovoltaic system on your roof can take up to 2 weeks for individuals and 4 weeks for businesses. For the installation itself, everything depends on the size of your roof. It takes 1 day for small installations in private homes. On the other hand, for installations on company roofs, everything will depend on the power to be installed.

By installing solar panels at home, how much can I save on my electricity bill?

It all depends on your consumption, which varies from one business to another or from one household to another. Depending on your location, south-east orientation and 30° inclination of your roof, you will have an estimate of the annual economic gain that you will make if you install solar panels.
However, it is important to note that you will continue to receive bills from your electricity supplier. However, the bill will obviously be reduced.

Could I run out of power in my house one day if the weather conditions are bad?

Never! Whatever the electrical production generated by the photovoltaic panels, you will always be connected to the public electrical network. Therefore, if the production of your panels or the energy supplied by your battery is not sufficient, your household continues to be supplied with electricity from the network as usual.

Do my panels perform well all year round?

You should know that the higher the watt peak number of a panel, the more powerful the panel is, the more electricity it produces. A panel is logically more productive during periods of sunshine than when the sky is gray. However, photovoltaic panels produce energy all year round, even when it rains or when the sky is cloudy. On the other hand, it is obvious that they do not work at night, or when they are covered in snow. If the standard temperature and sunshine conditions are met (ambient temperature of 25°C, clear sky, sunshine of 1000 watts/m2), the electrical power delivered by the panels will be maximum. This electrical quantity may vary depending on the weather, the place of installation, the orientation of the panels, inclination, etc.

Location of the solar panels

The roof is the most common location for private and professional installations. It is possible to integrate the panels into the roof or to place them on the roof. The first choice is to replace part of the roof covering with the panels. The principle of the second choice is to install the panels above the roof using a support. Solar panels can also be placed on the facade. This technique is less common because of its production efficiency, which is lower than rooftop installations. (30% less production for the same amount of sunlight). In addition, panels placed on facades will be likely to be more influenced by external elements (trees, neighborhood) and their shading.
Buildings that cannot be installed on the roof can install their solar panels on the ground. This system is very easy to implement and can be optimally oriented. However, it is necessary to have a wide field.

What is the lifespan of the panels?

We guarantee that by the 25th year, the panels will produce at least 85% of the forecasts made. We collaborate with the world leader in photovoltaic panels, Jinko. These have a lifespan of up to 40 years.

How do I buy solar panels at We Green?

Get in touch with us via https://www.we-green.africa/contact
‍Then, We Green will contact you again by phone or email to set up an appointment to assess whether your roof will be able to support the installation or not. You will be notified of any problems. You will not then send your electricity consumption readings. Based on this information, we will be able to provide you with a quote in accordance with reality. If you agree with the terms, we will present you with a fairly clear and well-detailed contract. After the signature, an installation date will be communicated to you by We Green as soon as possible.

Charging stations

I want to buy an electric or hybrid car and invest in a home charging station. How long will it take to charge my car with We Green Smappee charging stations?

We offer two types of electrical terminals having load powers of 7 kWh or 22 kWh. Charging power is the amount of energy that can be fed into the battery per hour. It consists of three factors: the connection to the electrical network, the on-board charger in your car and your Smappee charger.

There are several factors that affect charging speed, but the two most important are the battery capacity of your electric vehicle And the charging power. Battery capacity differs from car to car. The Nissan LEAF, for example, has a battery capacity of 30 kWh, while the Tesla Model S has a battery capacity of 100 kWh.

With a 7kWh terminal, it will take an average of 4 hours to charge the Nissan LEAF and 14 hours to charge the Tesla Model S. While it will take that 2 hours with a 22 kWh charging station for the Nissan LEAF And more or less 5 hours for the Tesla Model S.

How long does it take to install a terminal?

5 working days.

How does a charging station work?

A charging station works by delivering electricity to your electric car. Once the cable is plugged into your car, charging starts automatically. It can last several minutes to several hours depending on the power of the terminal and the capacity of your battery.

How much does it cost to install a charging station?

The cost of an installation varies from location to location. It depends on several factors such as the type of electrical network to which you are connected or the distance between the terminal and the electrical panel. We assure you the best quality/price ratio!

How many solar panels does it take to charge an electric car?

As a general rule, it is recommended to increase the energy production area by 50%, which leads to an additional cost of around €2500 for charging an electric vehicle. To charge an electric car in one day, it is estimated that approximately 6 to 8 solar panels with an individual power of 400 W should be used, i.e. a total power of between 2400 and 3000 W.

What is smart charging?

Smart charging is a technology that adjusts the amount of energy supplied according to the electrical needs of other devices in the home or building. This thus optimizes the use of available electricity.

Storage batteries

How do you store solar energy?

One of the effective ways at our disposal to store the excess energy produced by photovoltaic panels isinstallation of storage batteries. This storage battery allows you to store and then consume the excess electricity generated by your panels after dark, that is to say when there is no more production. Without having to draw power from the distribution network. Your home battery stores unused electricity, which would have been sent back to the grid at a ridiculous price without batteries. In general, the battery is charged during the day and is discharged in the evening during domestic consumption.

Does it make sense to install a battery storage at home?

We advise you to consume as much of your solar electricity as possible instead of injecting it into the public grid. This favors your self-consumption. With a battery, You store during the day and consume in the evening. A battery is a excellent complement to solar panels for better energy independence.

How does a storage battery work?

A storage battery allows you to store your solar energy produced during the day so that you can reuse it at any time. You therefore take less from the network and reduce your energy bills.

Why install a storage battery?

Installing a storage battery makes it possible both to store solar energy by storing the electricity produced for later use and to increase self-consumption. This thus makes it possible to reduce energy costs and reinforces energy independence.

What are the different types of batteries?

There are several types of batteries:

Lithium ion batteries :
Lithium batteries are the most installed batteries. These batteries are modern, require no maintenance, are lightweight, durable and have a lifespan of around 20 years. Thanks to their high energy density, they allow efficient energy storage in a small space.

Lead acid batteries :
Open lead batteries require regular maintenance and should be well ventilated.
AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries are waterproof and do not require maintenance. They are ideal for second homes.
Gel batteries are tough and suitable for daily use, although they may lose performance during overcharging.

Do you have another question? Contact us