Archive for the ‘Renewable Energy’ Category
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
Current research shows that photovoltaic systems are one of the key resources of cheap renewable energy. A survey of the UK demonstrated that 12 million houses have roofs suitable for PV solar panels. Is yours one of them?
If your home faces between South East and South West and the roof is not shaded, you probably are. Why not download the information sheet on this website for a rough guide to prices? Or contact Solar Technology for a site survey – free in Scotland and the North of England.
Installations don’t normally take more than a few days, with minimum disruption to the householder. Once an installation is up and running you can start making a good return on your investment. The Government’s Feed-In Tariff (FITS) means that you are guaranteed for 25 years a inflation related return of 41.3 p for every unit of solar electricity you generate, with an extra 3p on top for every unused unit exported to the National Grid. This, together with savings on your electricity bill (likely to increase over the years), can amount to a return of around £1000 p.a.
And on top of that you will lower your personal carbon footprint and help the environment by saving on average about 1.3 tonnes of carbon p.a.
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Monday, May 17th, 2010
If you’d like to find out more about renewable energy and PV solar installations, why not visit the Solar-Technology stand at the Energy Fair in Galashiels on Friday and Saturday 21-22 May 2010. Solar Technology, a Scottish PV installation company, will be happy to answer any questions you might have regarding PV panels, generation of solar electricity and installation of a PV system at your property.
Details:
Solar-Technology Ltd stand at Scottish Borders Community Energy Fair, Scottish Borders Campus, Galashiels, TD1 3HE - 10.00 am – 6.00 pm, 21/22 May.
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Sunday, May 16th, 2010
‘I’ve heard PV solar panels are expensive’ is frequently repeated, but is it true?
The initial outlay is not cheap, but look at it as an investment. And don’t forget in Scotland loans of up to £4000 are still available. Consult the Energy Saving Trust – www.energysavingtrust.org.uk – for up-to-date info.
Costs for a 1.5 kWp system are approximately £8300 including 5% VAT, whereas a 3.7 kWp system comes in at about £15,500. But this initial outlay will give a good return. Government statistics suggest a return in the region of 8% p.a.
A PV installation increases the value of your property, reduces your electricity bills, provides an average annual income of over £500 on a 1.5 kWp system and over £1200 on a 3.7 kWp system. These figures are based on a south-facing roof, with a government guaranteed tax-free income, through the feed-in tariff, of 41.3 pence for every unit of solar electricity you generate, with an extra 3p for unused units sold back to the national grid. A south-west/south-east facing roof will provide only slightly less solar electricity, so the return would only be slightly reduced.
Don’t forget you also reduce your carbon footprint, with a saving of about .65 tonnes of carbon a year on the 1.5 kWp system and 1.71 tonnes on a 3.7 system, making for a greener future for all.
So you could say Solar Panels are not expensive after all, just a good investment!
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Saturday, April 10th, 2010
For all those who live in Scotland, why not contact your local Scottish PV installer to see if you too could generate your own solar electricity? British Summer Time has begun and you can reap the benefits of Scotland’s longer daylight hours when you install PV solar panels. You will help cut carbon emissions and make a tax-free profit from the 41.3p you will be paid for every unit of electricity you generate. This price is related to the retail price index and guaranteed for 25 years, so offers a return on your investment of around 5% as well as saving you money on electricity bills.
Site surveys can easily be arranged and there are loans available from the Energy Saving Trust to help with installation costs. Why not contact your local installer, who is only a mouse click away!
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Thursday, March 4th, 2010
No spare cash for investing in PV Solar Panels? Then help is coming with the Government’s proposed new ‘green loan’ scheme.
These ‘pay-as-you-go’ loans will cover the capital costs of installing renewable energy, such as solar electricity provided by PV panels. You won’t have to pay back more than you’re saving. Loans will be at a low rate of interest, and can be spread over 25 years. During this period you’ll benefit from savings on your electricity bill and once paid off, you’ll receive all the benefits of the Feed-in Tariffs. Loans will tied to the property rather than the householder and if you move, the loan passes on to the new owner.
So, lots more people will be able to reap the rewards provided by PV solar panels. And reduce their carbon footprint. Looks like a Good Scheme!
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Saturday, January 23rd, 2010
In Scotland, grants are still available of up to £4000 per property and up to £2500 in the rest of the UK. But, you need to hurry; these are due to end in March 2010, when the proposed Feed-in Tariff of 36.5p per unit of solar electricity generated comes into force. If you install PV Solar Panels before March you could benefit from both grant and the Feed-in Tariff, which makes solar panels a good investment choice.
Why not visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk. The Energy Savings Trust provide independent advise or go to the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s website – www.lowcarbonbuilding.org.uk - and look at the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, which gives details of grants.
Then arrange for a site survey and quotation for a PV solar panel installation from an accredited installer, under the Microgeneration certification scheme. And before you know it, you’ll not only be making savings on your electricity bill, but receiving a tax-free income from any excess solar electricity you generate too.
As the Government’s white paper says: an average household, with well-sited PV panels, could receive over £800 income, plus bill savings of around £140, a year. There couldn’t be a better time, so why not telephone or e-mail for a quote TODAY!
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Tuesday, January 12th, 2010
Yesterday (11 January), the Environmental Audit Committee reported to the Government that the current speed of UK Carbon Cutting Measures was too slow. If the UK is to try and keep temperature rises below 30 percent by 2020, carbon emissions must be reduced by 42 percent by 2020.
The Committee’s Chair, Tim Yeo MP, said that we must meet our targets more quickly and so send a clear signal to developing countries that the UK is serious about making an international deal on carbon reduction work.
To achieve such targets the Government must increase its backing of renewable energy. Solar electricity has an important part to play in enabling carbon reductions to take place. If every home in the UK, with a roof facing between south-west and south-east, installed photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, the UK’s chances of reaching these targets would be greatly increased.
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Wednesday, December 30th, 2009
Scotland’s First Minister, Alex Salmond used his New Year message to promote renewable energy. He said how Scotland could take full advantage of the ‘renewable revolution’ if the Scottish Parliament had more powers, with equal access to the electricity grid. At present it faces the highest UK transmission costs to the National Grid.
However, the Climate Change Act passed in 2009 set legally binding targets to cut Scottish greenhouse gas emissions by 42 % by 2020. In order to reach these targets, all forms of renewable energy need to be employed.
PV Solar Panels capture the sun’s energy and turn this into solar electricity. PV panels don’t need direct sunlight and generate solar electricity even on cloudy days. As the Energy Savings Trust writes ‘A typical home PV system can produce around 40 % of the electricity a household uses a year’.
Grants of upto £4000 are still available in many part of Scotland when you install PV panels. New feed-in tariffs, due in April 2010 will mean you can sell any excess solar electricity back to the national grid. This means investing in Solar Panels is a good way to start 2010. You get a return on your investment and help Scotland achieve the 42 % reduction target.
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Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
The Prime Minister is anxious to secure a strong and fair climate agreement. If he is serious in his commitment, he will press ahead with Green groups calls for a pledge to cut UK emissions by at least 40 % by 2020, with no carbon offsetting.
In order to fulfil the pledge, renewable energy must be given more encouragement. One way is by introducing higher feed-in tariffs, which will help homeowners to do their part. New feed-in tariffs are due to start in April 2010 and PV solar panels are one of the best ways of taking advantage of the scheme. Cut your own carbon footprint and install photovoltaic solar panels early in 2010 so that you can play your part by generating clean green solar electricity.
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Saturday, December 5th, 2009
With the Copenhagen Climate Talks opening next week, what better time to think of how you can help bring about zero carbon emissions in the UK. As Mike Childs, Friends of the Earth’s Head of Climate change says: “The cost of investing in renewable energy, green technology and reducing energy waste will be far outweighed by the cost of catastrophic climate change if we fail to take action now.”
Installing photovoltaic solar panels are one way of reducing carbon emissions. Tim Bruton, the Chief Technology Officer of the New & Renewable Energy Centre (NAREC), reports ‘putting solar panels on south facing buildings could generate all the electricity needed in the UK’. In fact, if your roof faces anywhere between south-east and south-west you can generate plenty of your own solar electricity and with the new proposed feed-in tariffs, due to start in April 2010, you can make a profit too.
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