Get paid to produce your own heat for your home for the next 25 years. The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a new government backed scheme which is planned to be introduced in the UK in April 2011. Although these details are still to be finalised, at the time of writing. This new scheme is designed to encourage homeowners to generate heat from solar heating panels, by offering a long term financial support structure.
Posts Tagged ‘solar grants news’
The Renewable Heat Incentive for solar panels pioneers
Wednesday, May 12th, 2010An interview with Stuart Lovatt creator of Heat my Home
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010Solar panels are certainly a hot topic right now. With the government implementing new incentives to encourage change to renewable energy, it is definitely the right time to investigate these technologies further. (more…)
Could solar panels be just the medicine?
Friday, January 22nd, 2010As a keen supporter of solar panels since 2004, Stuart Lovatt from Heat my Home, says,”There has never been a better time to install solar panels to a domestic home”.
Stuart adds, “Over the last few years, I have watched the solar industry steadily grow and matching the upward trend with which the UK’s energy pricing has increased too. The two seem to be connected, as energy prices have increased and are predicted to continue, so the interest in solar panels and the keen uptake of the technology follows and is predicted to rise with it”.
“As a solar expert with knowledge in all aspects of the solar industry, I predict that 2010 is going to be a bumper year. Two main factors are coming into play, which will encourage home owners to invest. It is an investment with this type of technology with people’s outlook projecting 10, 20 or 30 years from now. People who have already installed solar panels, see them as a longer term benefit or a way to supplement their future energy needs. Some installee’s use them to increase their property value or sell ability in a recovering property market or simply to add as a status symbol”.
Lovatt the original creator of Heat my Home also adds, “The solar grants subsidy currently in place is also changing this year, which will make pv solar panels (electric generating) in particular more appealing to homeowners.
A current installation subsidy of £2500 is ending in April 2010. You can still apply for this at the moment, but be quick, because once it has gone it’s gone. This is being replaced by a government subsidy called the solar feed-in tariff, similar to Germany’s example, which has seen their solar industry being the world’s No 1. You cannot go to Germany without seeing solar panels everywhere”.
“But beware”, Stuart explains, “be the first because as with Germany’s tariff successful model, the later you install, the less of a subsidy you receive from the government. Their are greater rewards for installing sooner than later under this type of scheme”. A set price will be paid to you for the amount you produce regardless of if you use it yourself or send it to the National Grid. This set price will gradually be reduced over time as more people take up the technology.
Another interesting solar panel technology, is solar heating panels systems. These heat up your hot water tank and in some cases, contribute towards your heating using solar energy. Coming in evacuated solar tubes for ultimate performance or roof integrated flat panels if aesthetics is a consideration, they are the biggest seller in the UK market at the moment.
The British public is finally realising or waking up too our countries vulnerability when it comes energy and energy pricing. The long term advantages of a solar panels, if a good quality system is installed can be 30 -40 years. The best advice I can give to someone considering solar panels for their home, is not all solar technologies are the same. Not all solar companies are competent and that’s why we at Heat my Home use our expertise of the solar industry to only promote the best companies and best technologies, but to guide people in the right direction.
For those whom solar panels may be financially out of reach, do not despair. Heat my Home has teamed up with Good Energy a 100% green energy supplier, who use wind turbines, hydro electric and pv solar to generate it’s electricity for it’s customers. A real green home, using real green energy is now accessible to all UK homes regardless of income.
To speak to someone regarding adding these services, please go to:
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Solar panels grants closed due to unprecedented demand
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009Solar panels manufacturers have warned of their frustration after the government’s flagship grant scheme for largescale solar panels installations ran out of money less than halfway through the financial year. This DOES NOT affect homeowners or domestic installations.
The UK PV Association, which represents companies making and installing solar panels, warned that they were “in limbo” after the Low Carbon Building Programme Phase 2 was closed to solar applications this week.
The £50m scheme had included up to £18m for hospitals, schools and other public sector buildings to install pv solar panels on their roofs. But it has been closed down due to unprecedented demand.
Meanwhile, an announcement has been delayed on a clean energy cashback scheme – called “feed-in tariffs” – which will let people sell renewable power back to the grid. The industry had expected the decision this month but now believes it has been delayed amid wrangling between the energy department and the Treasury.
“This leaves installation companies in limbo land, unable to plan their businesses and unsure of what advice to give customers,” said the association.
Andrew Lee from Sharp UK, which employs 600 staff making solar panels in Wrexham, said the industry would have to endure another “unnecessary hiatus in support”.
The news is awkward for the government, coming just days before international climate change talks open in Copenhagen. Britain gets less energy from renewables than almost any other EU country.
Green campaigners have complained about the way ministers have launched a succession of “piecemeal” renewable energy grants.
“Our members face ongoing uncertainties and yet another round of stop-start support,” said Ray Noble from the Renewable Energy Association.
This week the energy department announced it was closing the scheme to companies and public sector applicants – although Phase 1, which applies to households, is still open. The energy department is also still offering grants for large-scale wind, hydro and biomass projects but has introduced a waiting list.
Dave Sowden, chief executive of the Micropower Council, said the removal of the grants would put green jobs in jeopardy and undermine Britain’s credibility ahead of Copenhagen.
A spokeswoman for DECC said feed-in tariffs were on track to begin next April. “It’s very encouraging that there’s been an unprecedented demand for this technology but we have to be fair to all renewable technologies,” she said.
Original Source: The Financial Times
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Solar industry calls for “right mechanism” to grow
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009A leading figure in the solar industry has called for the “right support and financial” mechanism to encourage the growth of solar-powered heating systems.
Speaking at the New Energy Focus Renewable Heat conference in London on Thursday, Solar Trade Association chairman Howard Johns said that solar thermal technology was “ready to go”, but was waiting for government support.
“Solar thermal is ready to go, what we need now is the right support and financial mechanisms behind the industry to really get that out there,” he said.
Mr Johns, who is also managing director of solar installation company Southern Solar, highlighted the potential of solar thermal district heating to provide 9% of the UK’s renewable energy mix by 2020.
However, although the government is looking to provide a Renewable Heat Incentive from 2011 to subsidised the technology, the Solar Trade Association chairman said there were many uncertainties to come before such measures arrive.
He said: “This is where we could go if the heat incentive or other support mechanism comes in to place, bearing in mind there’s potentially going to be a change of government in between the feed in tariff coming in and the heat incentive coming in.”
District heating
Highlighting the possibilities of solar power, Mr Johns showed delegates a picture of a solar field, or large out-of-town array, which in Germany is being used to fuel a district heating alongside a biomass boiler.
“In Europe, they’re doing things quite differently,” he said. “You actually get more energy out of a field full of solar panels than you do from a field full of biomass. In this case they’ve got a biomass district heating system and a solar thermal district heating system all plugged in to that town. No-one’s done that in the UK yet, but hopefully if the incentives are right, they will be doing it.”
During his presentation, Mr Johns highlighted the fact that solar thermal technology was both low cost and versatile.
“Solar thermal fits on most houses and it is simple,” he said. “And it can be easily retrofitted, which is very good considering that in 2050 70% of our housing stock will have already been built.”
He also emphasised that in the UK solar thermal could provide most, if not all, of a household’s heating from April to September.
Original Post: New Energy Focus
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UK ends solar panels grant funding
Thursday, March 19th, 2009In yet another case of governments underestimating the willingness of citizens to install solar panels systems, the UK government has ended a controversial program well ahead of time.
As has been the case in in Spain, Florida and Ontario, Canada in relation to gross feed in tariff systems, the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has found that applications for grid connected solar power projects on public buildings has far exceeded their expectations.
Half of the £50m funding set aside for the low-carbon buildings program been used up by solar projects within just a few months.
Seen by many as a token effort from the UK government, the program was also meant to encourage the uptake of other renewable energy sources and carbon reduction initiatives. Critics believe that the other half of the funding will sit mostly unused and should therefore be accessible to solar power projects, and any funding from failed projects should be returned to the pool to and also made available.
Solar panels industry supporters have also said that the ending of the funding will see the local solar sector experience a gap in government support for over a year, which flies in the face of Gordon Brown’s plans of of creating 400,000 green jobs to boost the economy and combat climate change.
Funding instability for the industry will also discourage investment, leading some to accuse officials of retarding progress towards a low-carbon economy for the UK by remaining too sympathetic to fossil fuel companies.
Original Source: Energy Matters
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PV solar could see big price drop
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008We’ve been hearing for awhile that solar silicon production is going from scrambling to catch up, to having way too much stock. Now we have an idea how much the prices are expected to fall.
According to information provided to UK’s New Energy Finance by polysilicon and solar-wafer buyers and sellers, solar silicon could drop in price by as much as 43% next year. Additionally, silicon wafer prices could drop 41% – and contract silicon prices dropping by 67% – in 5 years. In New Energy Finance’s report, wafers should retain their value in 2009, but as supply increases, prices could hit less than $6 per wafer, or $1.62 per watt starting in 2011. So just as quickly as prices skyrocketed, they’ll drop again (sound like the housing market to anyone?), which means price parity for solar could be just around the corner, despite various setbacks.
“The first results [from the Silicon and Wafer Price Index] have confirmed that we will be seeing significant falls in prices right along the value chain as the polysilicon bottleneck eases, bringing solar closer to competitiveness with other power sources,” New Energy Finance CEO Michael Liebreich said in a written statement, and carefully pointed out that the research is specific to contract prices, not spot prices for silicon.
We know that companies are interested in manufacturing the in-demand product, but will production slow at all in preparation of this over-supply? No matter what, it’s a sure bet that solar power prices will drop, so we can hope that the (so far) lack of tax credits will not be such a big factor stopping people from hooking up to the sun.
Original Source: Eco Geek
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Weathering the energy storm with solar panels
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008A couple are hoping to weather the rising costs of fuel bills and make their home a more attractive purchase for the future by installing solar panels on its roof.
Although the panels will not provide electricity or domestic heating, they will provide a huge saving on the couple’s hot water bill.
Heat my Home, which is the company installing the panels later this month, says the panels can provide 70 per cent of a homeowner’s hot water needs and save up to 30 per cent on annual energy bills.
This could be money well saved as energy bills are rising, and some reports say they will increase by as much as 40 per cent this winter.
Mr Hayne, 72, a retired council highways inspector, said: “I was listening to the TV one night and it said houses in a couple of years are going to be built with solar panels, so I thought we might as well go ahead.
“We are hoping when we come to sell the house it will go easier and with the price rises on fuel, we may make a saving as well.”
The installation of the panels will also involve a new water tank being fitted, which will be large enough to cater for a family.
Mr Hayne said: “The solar runs all right even without sun, but if you get a cold spell then we might have to put on the immersion heater, so we will have that as a back-up.
“We decided to go ahead with it before the latest price rise, whether we make the back on the house by doing this.
“The main thing is our children will have no problem selling the house on after we are gone.”
The solar panels will only provide hot water, because the solar panel collection area needed to provide heating for a house would take up a far larger space than available on an average British home and would not be cost effective.
Having the panels can increase the value of a home, especially now Home Information Packs (HIPs) highlight energy efficiency.
Last week, it was announced household energy bills could rise by 20 per cent to pay for the cost of meeting the European Union’s 2020 emissions target.
A report called Costing the Earth stated this, coupled with the soaring cost of oil also contributing to rising energy bills, could push a lot of households in to fuel poverty. Wind power is currently the most popular form of renewable energy used in Britain.
Original Source: Get Woking
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