The introduction of ‘Feed-in Tariffs’, that pay homeowners for electricity fed into the grid, has led to a rise in demand for solar panels, But householders who have installed the expensive technology are unable to start generating electricity because of a shortage of “inverters”. (more…)
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Global demand for solar panels is causing UK shortages
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010New PV solar panels feed in tariffs announced
Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010Is it possible the United Kingdom could end up being one of the most energy efficient nations on the planet? That seems to be the focus of an ambitious project unveiled by the government to get 1 in 10 homes.
How to get all those residents to do it? Plans are a foot, beginning this April 2010, to let UK consumers who install energy generating technologies such as photovoltaics or pv solar panels “claim payments for the low carbon electricity they produce.” This is called the ‘Clean Energy Cash Back Scheme’ as detailed below:
PV solar (under 4kW retrofit), Years 1-2, 41.3 pence
reducing to 37.8p in year 2013
PV solar (under 4kW – new build only), Years 1-2, 36.1 pence
reducing to 33 p in in year 2013
The feed in tariff for home owners far exceeds the anticipated 36p per Kwh, but as you can see above the offer is time sensitive, so early adoption of solar is advisable for the best feed in tariffs rates. The tariff lifetime for each technology varies but is generally 30 or 35 years.
This technology will further be joined by low carbon heating technologies in April 2011, which is said to be a world first. What’s most interesting is that the government will pay all those who install these energy generating technologies in their homes for even the low carbon electricity the home owners end up generating for self usage. That is a strong variance from the traditional model of utilities paying consumers only when they generate enough alternative energy to put it back into the grid.
It is hoped that these incentives will “bring about a significant increase in the amount of locally produced green energy, as a contribution to the wider shift of the energy mix to low carbon.” There are some stipulations though to how payments work. The level of payment, for example, depends on the technology and is linked to inflation. In terms of specific numbers, the U.K.’s Department of Energy and Climate Change said one could find that a “typical 2.5kW well sited solar pv installation could offer a homeowner a reward of up to £900 and save them £140 a year on their electricity bill.”
The guarantee of getting an income on top of saving on energy bills will be an incentive to householders and communities wanting to make the move to low carbon living. The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past. It will also change the outlook for a range of industries, in particular those in the business of producing and installing small scale low carbon technology.
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Energy savvy investors turn to solar panels
Thursday, December 17th, 2009Solar panels works by converting the energy from the sun (Photons) into useable heat for heating stored water in a hot water tank or producing power which can be used around the home.
Solar panels reduce your dependency on fossil fuels and your dependency on utility companies by using a free, natural, renewable resource – solar energy.
This is done not just by direct sunlight but also works with standard daylight (cloudy days). The optimum time of year for solar panels in the UK from March to October months however the solar panels will generate heat / electricity all year round.
There are two types of solar heating technologies, the evacuated solar tubes and the flat plate collector. The solar tubes have a greater efficiency and work better at lower temperatures. Some people believe the flat plate is more pleasing to the eye, however, they usually cost around the same to install, so many people choose based on performance and others aesthetics .
On average solar heating can save you between 70-80% on your heating bills, not only that but it will prolong the life of your boiler as it does not need to be activated as much being the primary source of heat. With energy pricing forecast to rise continually over the coming years, more energy savvy homes now use a mixture of energy inputs such as solar and heat pumps too.
Solar heating systems work by capturing the sun’s rays which is then converted to heat energy; this heat energy is transported through a heat exchanger that will then transfer the heat into the stored water within the solar cylinder.
Solar PV panels work by converting photons into electrons accumulating them into a usable electric current for your home.
With current interest rates and unstable utility energy prices, installing solar panels currently represent one of the best investments, increasing your properties value and reducing your energy bills.
Another benefit if you decide to sell your home in the future is, home buyers would choose to buy house with solar panels over a house with no solar panels. Recent Energy Saving Trust surveys indicate home buyers would still buy if the price was £10,000 more expensive than the none-solar house.
A final food for thought, when considering solar for your home, is a Financial Times article pointed out, it’s likely that the financial cost of manufacturing solar panels and their installation costs will rise in the future in line with the cost of energy, resources, materials and other manufacturing costs as global energy price’s keep rising.
Solar panels or solar energy can be collected, harnessed and used for your long term energy requirements.
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Has China kick started the solar panel revolution
Thursday, October 1st, 2009In recent years China, and in particular the capital Beijing, have become synonymous with heavy air pollution with carbon emissions a natural result of being the largest manufacturing base in the world.
The Olympic Games held in Beijing in 2008 highlighted to the world the problems that China is having with pollution in urban areas where population density and heavy road traffic has contributed to a situation where on some days visibility is severely reduced.
The televised images of the Beijing skyline obscured by a murky cloud of smog offered a grim reminder of the contamination which is of course an inevitable by-product of a rapidly industrialising economy. However, China has embraced the concept of renewable energy with a massive shift towards solar energy. Legislation introduced by the Chinese government has been designed to spark investment in renewable energies and has so far, proved to be successful.
As the largest manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV solar) components, China has been a market leader in developing new products for markets elsewhere. Certainly, the Spanish market which experienced its own boom following the introduction of a feed-in tariff in 2007 relied massively on Chinese PV imports with the market experiencing a glut of Chinese produced PV solar panels plant when the Spanish industry went through its downturn and failed to install the solar plant which had been ordered. However, in a bid to alleviate some pollution problems and help meet climate change targets, the Chinese government has recently sought to increase the number of solar installations within the country.
In order to do this the government introduced a feed-in tariff system. Essentially, the feed-in tariff (FIT) was designed to attract investment in the new solar industry by offering financial incentives to investors. The FIT mechanism operates on the basis that the law guarantees a fixed, premium rate for units of electricity fed-in to the grid by solar energy generators. The utility companies are obliged by the legislation to purchase the solar electricity at above market prices, the costs of which are passed on to the consumers. In China this mechanism which has been successful in areas such as Germany, Spain and California has also proved successful in China. In July 2009, the New York Times ran with the headline, “Green Power Takes Root in China” heralding the arrival of the Chinese PV market on the world stage.
The arrival of the Chinese PV solar industry has come in the form of a national renewable energy law which decrees that utilities must generate 8 per cent of their energy by renewable means by 2020. The fact that this 8 percent figure does not include hydroelectric power adds to the importance which the Chinese are now placing on green energy. The growing awareness of the lack of long-term sustainability in traditional coal energy sources has prompted the Chinese government to take action to maintain China has a major industrial power well in to the future. There has also been somewhat of a frenzy among private companies seeing the opportunities that will undoubtedly present themselves in the Chinese renewable industry, with a growing activity particularly in sectors such as wind and photovoltaic solar panels technology which will inevitably boom in China in the near future.
The New York Times was keen to use this Chinese government action to make comparisons with the comparatively weak efforts being made in Washington to spur the renewable sector in the United States. Indeed, in the United Kingdom, with the recent feed-in tariff legislation, members of the green energy industry will be hopeful that government action in the UK will have the same effect it has had on the Chinese market.
The New York Times asserted its almost neurotic view of Chinese renewable growth compared to that of the US by warning,
“You won’t just be buying your toys from China, you’ll be buying your energy future from China.”
China has a target in place to produce 8000 megawatts of energy by wind energy by 2010 which they are set to smash. If China continues apace to move towards solar energy, they will surely shame efforts currently being made in the West to develop their own sustainable renewable industries.
Original Source: Official Wire
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Cashing in on solar panels
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009Until now, householders have lavished large sums on solar panels to help the planet rather than themselves. Scientists are concerned that climate change will plunge hundreds of millions of people into hunger, provoke mass migrations, and cause increased storminess, flooding and extreme heat in the UK.
Putting that aside for the moment (this is the Your Money section, after all) are solar panels also a good investment? The answer is that they are now, if you apply for a £2,500 grant before April, because of a sharp change in government policy.
When the Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, unveiled the UK Low-Carbon Transition Plan in July, the headlines screeched about the impact on most customers: higher bills and “smart meters”. Lurking in the accompanying Consultation on Renewable Electricity Financial Incentives 2009 was a significant shift.
From next year, it proposed, owners of solar panels and wind turbines should be paid for all the electricity generated, regardless of whether they used it at home or sent it back to the national grid. These payments are worth hundreds of pounds a year and transform the financial case for installing solar power.
At present, householders installing solar panels can receive £2,500 from the Government under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. Electricity companies pay them for whatever power they sent back into the grid, though the tariff varies by company and is often low. The Government is expected to end its grant regime next April, replacing it with more generous annual payments.
From next year, its new “feed-in tariff” will give every household with photo-voltaic (PV) panels 36p for every unit generated, funded by a small levy on all energy bill payers. PV systems will also earn 6p for every unit sent back into the grid. What’s more, the feed-in tariff will apply for 25 years.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of official information about how these proposals will change the affordability of solar power. The Government’s Energy Saving Trust explains how the panels work, and how much power they generate, but its website is bereft of meaningful figures; it refers only briefly to the seismic government proposals.
Similarly, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) has a dismal record on renewal energy. Last September, it claimed that solar panels would take up to 171 years to pay their installation costs. Rics ignored any grants available, and the likelihood of rising electricity prices, and also got its generation sums wrong. Despite asking, it declined to give me its latest calculations. I have done my own. The key question is: would you be better off by leaving your capital in a bank earning interest or investing in solar panels? Over 30 years, my calculations suggest solar is better. They rely on some assumptions. First, although manufacturers guarantee solar panels for 20 years, industry figures say they should last well beyond their warranty period and I have assumed they will last for 30 years.
I have also assumed annual inflation of 4 per cent and annual electricity price inflation of 10 per cent, which is reasonable, given diminishing oil and gas reserves; energy prices rose 40 per cent last year.
Now, the costs of installing a system. A modest but well-sited 2kWh PV system, suitable for an average, preferably not north-facing home, costs about £11,500. Deduct £2,500 from the £10m in the grant kitty before April, if you are lucky, and the cost is £8,000.
You can expect to earn £657 for the feed-in tariff and an extra £45 from electricity sent back to the grid and save £118 on your annual electricity bills. The panels would pay for their costs in 10 years, though you would not have your capital. If you did have £8,000 in the bank, as the years tick by, solar slowly catches up, and overtakes the bank deposit by year 26.
After 30 years, compound interest would turn the £8,000 in a savings account to £27,568. Assuming the money from solar (the feed-in tariff and electricity savings, etc) is deposited in a bank after the installation costs have been paid off at year 10, harnessing the power of the sun would be worth £40,654 after 30 years.
Original Source: The Guardian
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PV solar panels will compare with grid by 2013
Tuesday, July 14th, 2009Electricity generated from solar sources could cost householders the same as electricity sourced from the grid “as soon as 2013″, according to a UK solar panel producer.
Speaking at ‘We Support Solar’ event in London today (July 13), Jeremy Leggett said that solar photovoltaic (PV solar panels) could achieve parity seven years earlier than previously forecast due to growing support for the solar industry.
In addition, Mr Leggett claimed that grid parity for commercial customers – where electricity is at wholesale rates or less – was “still likely within about ten years even with conservative assumptions” and earmarked 2018 as a potential date.
Mr Leggett claimed that the potential for grid parity would encourage greater investment in the sector and challenged comments made recently in the media about the potential of solar energy.
He said: “The chief executive of British Petroleum [Anthony Hayward] said that solar will never be economically viable without technological breakthroughs. He is going down the road saying that, we say it will be on cost parity with electricity by 2013. We are going to find out who is right.”
Mr Leggett added that global solar photovoltaic (PV) production was “the fastest growing sector in the world” and that in the first three quarters of 2008 venture capitalists had placed more than 50% of all investments purely into the solar PV sector.
Also speaking at the event – which looked at investment potential in the solar PV sector in general – Labour MP Colin Challen called on members of parliament present to support Early Day Motion 689.
The motion is intended to get the government to acknowledge that solar PV “will be a key climate change mitigation technology” and calls for the House to welcome the ‘We Support Solar’ campaign, which was launched in September 2008 by the UK Solar PV Manufacturer’s Association to promote solar technology in the UK.
Joan Ruddock, undersecretary of state for the department of energy and climate change (DECC), told delegates that the government was committed to growing “small-scale renewable technologies, such as solar PV” as part of its “low carbon goal”.
In addition, she said that the government intends to introduce feed-in-tariff for renewable energy by April 2010, with more detail to be given at the launch of the Renewables Strategy later this week.
She said: “We know that it is not just a case of generating ideas and many of you have pushed for greater incentives, so we are introducing what is going to be called a clean energy cash back, that is much easier for ordinary people to understand than a feed-in tariff for people in these difficult economic times and it will be important to encourage people at this time.
Original Source: New Energy Focus
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Campaign for solar panels feed-in tariffs
Monday, February 2nd, 2009Solar panels industry sectors have begun campaigning to secure the feed-in tariff levels they believe will be necessary to support their technologies in the domestic, business and community sectors.
Feed-in tariffs are long-term contracts that will be offered to small-scale generators of renewable electricity to provide an incentive for householders, schools, hospitals and other organisations to invest in micropower technology.
The government gained the powers to set feed-in tariffs for renewable energy projects below 5MW in size through last year’s Energy Act. The solar campaign, which has the support of 30 MPs so far, as well as campaign groups, solar manufacturers, businesses and industry bodies, is aiming to promote solar at a what it sees as a critical time for the development of the industry, with feed-in tariffs (FIT) expected to be launched by April 2010.
Michael Meacher MP, a former environment minister, gave his support to the drive, saying: “Ed Miliband’s decision to introduce a feed-in tariff for solar PV and other small-scale renewable electricity technologies is potentially a real turning point for the UK solar PV sector. It gives the UK a vital new policy tool that should help to maximise the contribution from solar PV to our demanding renewable energy target.” Mr Crosher agreed with the BWEA that the feed-in tariff should relate to the total amount of on-site generation rather than the amount exported to the grid, and went on to suggest a rate that might be suitable.
If tariffs are too high, the temptation will be for the consumer to place technologies on their site that produce relatively small amounts of energy
Stephen Crosher, quietrevolution
“Our view is that the first 25,000 kWh per annum produced should be eligible for a rate of 25p per kWh, the second 50,000kWh energy produced per annum should be eligible for a rate of 20p per kWh, and so on,” he said.
Last month small wind-turbine manufacturer Proven Energy pledged its support for a 40p per kWh rate.
The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has urged the government to address this gap, in regard to both the feed-in tariff and the renewable heat incentive, which Ministers are yet to lay out a definite timetable for.
The director general of the REA, Philip Wolfe, said: “It is vital that both tariffs are introduced early in 2010 and that the industry is supported in ramping up its capacity in the interim. The detail design of these tariffs will also be crucial if they are to optimise the contribution of the many renewable electricity, heat and biogas technologies that could participate.”
However, the REA remained positive about the implications of the tariffs.
“The renewable electricity and heat tariffs introduced in the 2008 Energy Act could open up a whole new front in the war againt climate change and energy supply volatility,” said Mr Wolfe. “For the first time energy users can contribute to a sustainable energy future alongside the suppliers – creating an energy generating democracy in the UK.”
Former Energy Minister Peter Hain, also endorsed the We Support Solar campaign, but warned that the feed-in tariff must be implemented in the right way for it to work.
“The vast potential of solar PV in the UK is undeniable,” he said. “But what the sector needs above all else is a coherent, long term-term policy framework that plays to the UKs strengths in building integrated PV and our solar design and engineering expertise.”
Solarcentury told New Energy Focus that it is pleased at the government’s commitment to the tariff, but said it believes the input of solar manufacturers will be crucial to setting the right rate.
Seb Berry, the firm’s head of external affairs, said: “Ed Miliband is to be congratulated for showing real leadership on the feed-in tariff issue. This has been the vital missing ingredient in UK renewable energy policy and the new Secretary of State has moved quickly to address that.
“It is now essential that the government works closely with the solar PV industry to put in place appropriate tariff levels, so that we can play a full part in helping to deliver the 2020 renewable energy target,” he added.
Original Source: New Energy Focus
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PV solar panels installation debate
Thursday, November 13th, 2008PV solar panels are one of the least cost-effective ways of combating climate change and will take 100 years to pay back their installation costs, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) warned yesterday.
But as others have pointed out, the calculations failed to assume any rise in energy prices, when a conservative estimate of 10 per cent a year would transform the calculations.
In a new guide on energy efficiency, Rics said that roof panels for heating water and generating power are unlikely to save enough from bills to make them financially viable in a householder’s lifetime. In the case of solar panels to heat water for baths and showers, the institution estimates the payback time from money saved from electricity and gas bills will take more than 100 years – and up to 166 years in the worst case.
Photovoltaic (PV) panels for power – and domestic, mast-mounted wind turbines – will take between 50 and 100 years to pay back.
Given that the devices have a maximum lifetime of 30 years, they are never likely to recoup the £3,000 to £20,000 cost of their installation, according to Rics’ building cost information service. Instead, it suggested people wanting to cut fuel bills should insulate lofts and cavity walls, install efficient light bulbs and seal windows.
Joe Martin, author of Rics’ Greener Homes Prices Guide, said there was an argument for installing solar panels but it was not an economic one. “We wanted to bring some reality to this because there are a lot of missionaries out there. The whole push for household renewable power is that you can do these things and make back money but that’s not true on existing property,” he said.
The solar power industry accused Rics of failing to take account of the rising cost of energy and other financial benefits of renewable power in its figures. Jeremy Leggett, of Solar Century, said: “They are grossly irresponsible.”
Rics assessed the cost, annual savings, disruption and payback time of various energy-saving methods and gave each an overall rating of one to five stars.
Solar panels for heating and power and wind turbines generating between 3kW and 5kW merited two stars. Smaller 1.5kW turbines of the type installed on roofs paid back in 25 years, received a three-star rating.
By contrast, cavity wall insulation had a five-star rating: spending £440 would save £145 a year in fuel bills, paying back in three years, while an investment of £325 in extra loft insulation would save £60 annually, paying back in five years.
The figures were compiled before energy companies put up bills by up to 30 per cent last month and ignore state subsidies.
Last year, the Department for Trade and Industry slashed grants for the installation of household renewable power by 83 per cent, infuriating the fledgling micro-generation industry which complained the move rendered solar panels unaffordable to all but the wealthy.
Jeremy Leggett, executive chairman of Solar Century, complained that Rics’ figures failed to assume any rise in energy prices, when a conservative estimate of 10 per cent a year would transform the calculations.
In addition, Rics had failed to take account of a number of other benefits – renewable obligations certificates worth £160 a year to householders from next year; reductions in energy consumption of up to 40 per cent for schemes with a meter; the rising payments from energy companies for spare electricity put back into the national grid; and the increased value of an energy-efficient home.
He estimated the current payback of power-generating PV panels was 13 years.
Rics countered by saying it had not taken account of maintenance costs and that it deliberately chose not to include “ifs” in its figures. “I doubt however you do the sums, they [solar panels] make sense,” a spokesman said.
Original Source: The Independent
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