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Learn about solar panels and solar installations in the UK

Solar Panels UK . Solar Installers . Water Heating Solar Panels Installations . PV Electric Solar Panels . Solar UK . Evacuated Solar Tubes

Eco Builders and Green Builders ForumLearn about PV Solar Panels known as PV Systems or Photovoltaic Solar for the UKLearn about Evacuated Tubes Solar Hot Water or Water Heating Solar Panels UKLearn about domestic solar tubes and PV solar panels for the UK environment

The UK receives '60%' solar energy of the equator
Solar panels work even on COLD CLOUDY days in the UK

The need for renewable energy and solar panels in particular, has come to the forefront in recent years. This has been driven not by global warming as first predicted, but by the end of cheap energy, not just in the UK, but in the whole of Europe. More and more people are getting wise to this, and are investing in solar panel technology for their homes. Solar panels are proven to be the most beneficial of all renewable's, requiring no planning permission to install.

The latest solar panels, which perform best, in the UK climate...

Energy Saving Evacuated Tubes or Solar Tubes for the UK Climate'New' evacuated solar tubes

'Latest' solar panels for the UK climate
Solar energy technology has evolved...

NEW improved evacuated tubes - The latest and most efficient (by up to 40%) hot water heating solar panels (evacuated solar tubes), use solar radiation to heat your water, generally for washing, bathing, or swimming pools. Commonly known as solar collectors, solar thermal or thermal solar, these are a popular and affordable option for households across the UK. Very simply, 'direct' evacuated tubes solar panels use your existing hot water tank and keep an abundent supply of hot water during the daylight hours.

This technology, not only prolongs the life of your boiler, but means your family can do it's bit for the environment, safe in the knowledge that your solar hot water is 100% carbon free. This latest in solar thermal technology and the most efficient system on the market today...

DIY solar panel kits are also available >> Learn more about Hot Water Heating Solar Panels for the UK Environment

Evacuated tubes solar panels >>
Price and suitability >>

PV Solar Systems UKPV solar panels

'On-grid' means selling your surplus energy
SELL your surplus power back to the National Grid...

Photovoltaic solar - The latest electric PV solar panels, also known as photovoltaic solar panels. This type of solar contributes towards your energy needs for your home. The average UK household consumes approx 4000 kWh per year. An on-grid connected PV solar panel system can produce from 1500 kWh - 4500 kWh per year, depending on the size system installed.

Although more expensive than solar thermal, PV solar is becoming a fashionable household accessory. It would be worth finding out your annual electricity consumption rate first, but pv solar running alongside basic energy conservation measures (such as low energy lightbulbs etc), can make a great way of reducing your households energy consumption and bills...

PV electric solar panels >>Learn more about Photovoltaic or PV Solar Panels for the UK Environment
Price and suitability >>


Solar UK Company selling Solar Thermal and Solar Collectors for domestic homes in the UK
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Energy, solar panels and earth news

  • High UK enery pricing is here to stay

    Posted 16 hours ago

    Victims of record oil prices are to be found throughout the economy, and the identities of some are more obvious than others. The transport sector, such as bus operators and hauliers, is particularly hard hit. And jet kerosene prices have increased even more than diesel, eating into airlines’ profits and helping to send many smaller [...] [more]

  • Renewable energy in the UK

    Posted 3 days ago

    The Energy Minister discusses the role of renewable energy in the overall energy mix strategy of the Government and highlights the economic opportunities that renewable energy brings to the UK. He confirms renewable energy as a key priority for the UK. In March I visited one of the country’s new generation of green buildings. Hampton Hill [...] [more]

  • Earth may be heating quicker

    Posted 5 days ago

    Global warming is happening faster than predicted and the world could be as much as seven degrees hotter by the end of the century, a UN scientist says. New Australian research showed current policies did not go far enough to manage the risks posed by climate change, according to Dr Roger Jones, a climate risk analyst [...] [more]

  • Global warming deal in 2009 - UN

    Posted 6 days ago

    The world can reach a significant new climate change pact by the end of 2009 if current talks keep up their momentum, the head of the United Nations climate panel said on Sunday. The United Nations began negotiations on a sweeping new pact in March after governments agreed last year to work out a treaty to [...] [more]

  • Political change on the horizon for solar panels

    Posted 10 days ago

    Germany has 200 times more solar power installed than the UK - and this is not because Germany gets any more sun. You may have seen the ads - enough to make any football fan’s blood boil: “Germany 200, England 1″. No, this was not a report from the World Cup qualifiers, it was a straightforward [...] [more]

  • UK rejects solar panels feed-in tariffs

    Posted 11 days ago

    Labour rebels have failed in a bid to force the government to introduce a scheme within a year to boost Britain’s take-up of renewable energy. The Energy Bill amendment would have made it more cost-effective for people generating their own renewable energy using solar panels and wind turbines. The “feed-in” tariffs would have set long-term fixed prices [...] [more]

  • 20-35% energy price rises predicted for summer 2008

    Posted 12 days ago

    Sadly gas and electricity price hikes of 20-35% are predicted for Summer/Autumn. If so, grabbing a price capped tariff now should save you cash; though the cheapest capped tariffs cost 10%ish more than the current cheapest uncapped tariffs. For those with finances on the brink, hedge towards capping as it provides surety. [...] [more]

  • The basics for home energy efficiency

    Posted 14 days ago

    Now that spring has sprung, it’s time to start preparing for winter. This isn’t as odd as it sounds: if you want your home to be toasty come November, and to reduce your carbon footprint, the time for action is now. Carbon emissions from our homes make up 27 per cent of the UK total. According [...] [more]

  • Taking energy saving into your own hands

    Posted 2 weeks ago

    Radical measures are needed to reduce the carbon emissions of our existing housing stock, says a new report from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Without them, we will not meet the 80 per cent reduction in emissions that campaigners say is vital by a massive shortfall. Current Government policies will only reduce emissions by 22 [...] [more]

  • UK energy continues to go up and up and up

    Posted 3 weeks ago

    For a while it seemed that the customer had the best of all worlds. The monopolies of British Gas and the national electricity board were smashed, so if you didn’t like how much you were forking out for your domestic fuel, then all you had to do was switch. But now, thanks to the continuing [...] [more]

  • UK’s disappointing solar panels take up

    Posted 3 weeks ago

    The UK’s renewable energy performance is a “national disgrace”, environmental campaigners claim today. Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Enoughsenough.org say the UK is flagging behind Germany in terms of solar panels. They argue that Germany has 200 times more solar power and more than ten times more solar panels installed than the UK. The three groups have [...] [more]

  • The joys of solar panels

    Posted 3 weeks ago

    It was with some trepidation that I went into the cellar this week to take some meter readings in order to find out how the solar panels we had fitted on our house exactly a year ago have been performing. Was the hefty sum of £8,500 we forked out last year a good investment or [...] [more]

Why solar panels?

1. Be the first

You don't have to be mental to be environmental, but you will definitely beam, showing your neighbours you are smarter and greener, buying solar panels for the UK climate.

2. House prices

Adding solar panels to your property is the same as adding a conservatory, a large possible increase in your property price is possible.

3. Selling your home

In a century with ‘Energy Assessment Certificates’, homes with solar already installed will be snapped up, quicker, than those without.

4. Britain’s energy crisis

Did you know, 80% of British electric and gas supplies will come from Russia, leaving a national security threat bigger than the cold war. Our politicians will have no choice but to give in to Russia’s political demands in the 21st century.

5. Climate Change bill

The 'Climate Change Bill' has seen the introduction of 'greener incentives' and 'greener taxation' starting with 'Energy Efficiency Assessments' for selling your property.

6. Why not wind?

People in built up or sub-urban areas will not get planing permission to install. You need a very large wind turbine to make a dent in the average domestic energy bill. Most domestic houses are unsuitable for wind turbines.

7. Improved solar technology

Latest solar panels have improved vastly over the last few years. Specially designed for the UK climate. Harnessing the power of the sun has never been so easy. Solar panels are fast becoming a mainstream and viable option. Learn about solar energy and solar radiation for the UK climate.

8. UK energy pricing

May I quote “British Gas Managing Director - Mark Clare, said "the industry had no choice but to pass on the large increase in wholesale gas prices to the consumer". Mr Clare said "The wholesale price forecasts for 2006 are something like 50 percent higher than a few months ago. "FORWARD MARKET PRICES ARE PRETTY UGLY FOR EARLY NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND". "All suppliers are going to have to put prices up in 2009, that’s inevitable". He added "higher gas prices means higher electricity prices too, because Gas fuels 40 percent of the UK's power stations".

Energy price fixing by UK energy companies

Read the small print on your contract. Price fixing is subject to governmental price changes, here or abroad, so if Russia decides to up its price, up goes your price, fixed or not.

9. Climate change and Britain

We have all felt it get warmer and dryer, mild winters and early spring times. So if predictions are correct, over the coming years, you will be seeing a lot of the sunshine

10. Global warming

Bored of hearing about global warming? Did we say domestic solar panels save money on your energy bills?

The most common solar panels questions

1. Can solar panels run my central heating?

No, because solar is most effective in summer. Solar thermal keeps your hot water tank topped with hot water only.

2. Is my roof suitable for solar panels?

In most cases yes, but this will be determined at the solar survey stage. South facing is ideal, but south/east and south/west are great too.

3. There are lots of solar systems on the market, which is best?

In a 2001 DTI report, evacuated tubes were singled out as the most efficient systems. Since then, this solar panel technology has greatly improved because it now heats 'directly' rather than anti freeze 'indirectly'. This gives even better efficiency in 2007 for our UK climate.

PV Solar Panels are electric generating solar panels, although these are more expensive than solar thermal, they can help reduce your electric consumption and sell back to the national grid.

4. 'Direct' or 'indirect' solar?

Traditional style UK solar panel systems usually heat up an antifreeze mixture to prevent freezing in the UK climate (indirect). Today we can get greater efficiency out of solar panels by heating water '(directly), by making them freeze tolerent using a special drainback system.

5. Can I install evacuated tubes myself?

Yes, if you are competant in plumbing, because DIY solar panels kits are now available. We do not recommend novices installing though.

6. Can I generate electricity using solar instead?

Yes, this is done using PV solar panels. Although more expensive, they can produce a portion of your electricity usage, but not all in most domestic cases. Any excess produced is sold back to the National Grid.

7. Do I need planning permission?

No, unless you live in a listed building.

8. Why install these solar panels?

Simply put, we only showcase and install the latest solar panel technology. There are still some UK solar companies who offer their customers outdated or inefficient technology for the UK climate. Learn more about solar energy in the UK >>

Solar energy and solar panels

Solar energy is a general term for the electro-magnetic radiation emitted by the sun. We can capture and convert solar radiation into useful forms of energy, such as heat and electricity, using the latest solar panel technologies. The technical feasibility and economical operation of these technologies at a specific location depends on the available solar radiation, which in the UK, is 60% of that of the equator. More than enough!

Solar radiation and solar energy

Our planet is round, and the sun strikes the surface at different angles ranging from 0º (just above the horizon) to 90º (directly overhead). When the sun's radiation or solar rays are vertical, and our planets surface gets all the energy possible.

The Earth revolves around the sun in an elliptical orbit and is closer to the sun during some parts of the year. When the sun is closer to the Earth, our planets surface receives a little more solar energy or solar radiation exposure. Earth is nearer the sun when it's summer in the southern hemisphere and winter in the northern hemispheres. The more slanted the sun's radiation or solar rays are, the further they travel through our the upper and lower atmospheres, becoming more scattered and diffuse. Because the Earth is a globe, the north and south polar regions never get a full high sun, and because of the tilted axis of spin, these areas receive no sun at all during part of the solar or annual year.

The tilt in the Earth's axis of spin is a more significant factor in determining the amount of solar radiation hitting the Earth at any particular part. Tilting results in longer days in the northern hemisphere from our spring equinox to the fall equinox and longer days in the southern hemisphere during the other part of the annual calenders. Days and nights are both 12 hours long on the equinoxes, which occur each year on or around March 23 and September 22.

Solar energy and solar radiation in the UK

The UK, which lies in the middle latitudes, receives more solar energy in the summer not only because days are longer, but also because the sun is nearly overhead giving greater amounts of radiation exposure. Solar rays are far more slanted during the short days of the winter months.

Rotation of the Earth is responsible for hourly variations in sunlight and solar radiation. In the early morning and late afternoon, the sun is lower in the sky. Its rays travel further through the atmosphere than at midday when the sun is at its highest point. On a clear day, the greatest amount of solar energy reaching a solar panel collector is around midday. This is called the solar bulge, commonly known as high noon.

With solar panels, solar energy can be collected, harnessed and used.

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