Posts Tagged ‘Solar Panel News’

« Older Entries

Could solar panels be just the medicine?

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

As 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:

Solar links

Heat my Home Solar Panels UK
Solar Panels and Solar Installers and Installations
Solar Panels in the UK
Green Energy Suppliers, Providers, Schemes and Tariffs
Solar Panels Forum
Solar Heating Panels Installations
The Latest Evacuated Tubes Solar Panels for the UK Climate
DIY Solar Panels Kits
PV Solar Panels Installations
Heat Pumps

Tags:, , , , ,
Posted in Stuart Lovatt | 1 Comment »

Solar panels are a sound investment

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Mr Guinness of the giant Guinness brewing company’s enthusiasm for renewable energy such as solar panels, stems from the peak oil concept. “Our ability to mine oil, gas and coal is finite. In 100 years’ time we will be mining much less. We’ve used up 1 trillion barrels of oil and the same amount in reserves, so the big question is how much is left to discover? Most people think it will be another trillion [barrels], so that is about 15 years worth,” he says.

The Guinness Alternative Energy fund invests in global companies with more than 50 per cent of their business in alternative energy such as solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass energy. Nearly half the portfolio is invested in solar energy, with 27 per cent in wind and just over 6 per cent in both hydro and geothermal energy.

Appetite for wind and solar flattened in the financial crisis but this is changing. “We are expecting this year’s global demand for solar to be higher than last year. The price of a solar module has halved in the last 18 months because of the falling price of silicon,” says Edward Guinness.

More countries are seeing better government incentives for renewable energy companies. The US has put in place longer term incentives, while Japan is supporting a new incentive plan, and China “has gone from being the world’s pariah to taking a huge lead in manufacturing with intentions to install wind power and solar”, he says. Greece and Italy are also ramping up wind and solar exposure.

Original Source: The Financial Times

Solar links

Heat my Home Solar Panels UK
Solar Panels and Solar Installers and Installations
Solar Panels in the UK
Green Energy Suppliers, Providers, Schemes and Tariffs
Solar Panels Forum
Solar Heating Panels Installations
The Latest Evacuated Tubes Solar Panels for the UK Climate
DIY Solar Panels Kits
PV Solar Panels Installations
Heat Pumps

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Peak Oil | No Comments »

The UK is on a brink of an energy revolution

Monday, November 9th, 2009

The UK is on the brink of an energy revolution. It will transform not only how we heat and light our homes, but also how we live, and even how we think. If you prepare for the energy revolution now, you could make money while saving your conscience and the planet.

Last year, the UK government became the first in the world to commit to an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050. This, say scientists, will give us at least a fighting chance of avoiding disastrous climate change.

To reach the government’s 2050 target, emissions from our homes need to be almost zero. Since heating our homes and the water we use in them accounts for 13% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, our homes are at the forefront of this energy revolution.

Some 57% of energy we use is for space heating, 25% for heating water, 15% appliances and lights, and 3% for cooking. Almost all of this energy comes from fossil fuels.

Added to the urgency to prevent the polar ice caps melting, dependence on imported gas in recent years has pushed the average fuel bill in the UK to around £800. An Ofgem report last month estimated that average bills would rise 60% by 2016 as energy supplies become more volatile. It makes sound environmental and economic sense to green your home.

Earlier this year, the energy and climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, announced the “great British refurb”, to insulate cavity walls and lofts, retrofitting 400,000 homes a year by 2015. A quarter, or 7m, of UK homes are to benefit by 2020 under this initiative.

Within six years, all new homes must be zero-carbon. But most of us live in existing housing stock, which is often old and draughty. Around 18m homes in Britain were built before 1990, before energy efficiency was really considered.

Energy efficiency alone could reduce carbon emissions from our homes by 40%, according to government figures. And like all bright ideas, energy efficiency starts with a lightbulb. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that British householders could save themselves £1bn a year, and 3.9m tonnes of CO2 by switching to compact fluorescent lightbulbs.

Remembering to switch lights and appliances off will save you even more. If everyone in the UK switched off unused appliances it would save £800m a year. Behaviour will be key in reducing our energy demand by that first 40%, says John Alker from the UK Green Building Council which promotes and advises on low-carbon building measures and policies.

Insulation is the best way to keep the heat you pay for where you need it: in your home.

Loft insulation can save more than £100 a year, and will pay for itself in the energy you save in less than three years, according to government figures. Solid wall insulation is extremely effective at retaining heat but it’s also expensive. However, under the government’s Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (Cert) scheme every household now qualifies for at least 50% of the cost of loft and cavity insulation through their energy supplier.

Once the “low-hanging fruit” of energy efficiency has been picked, what’s next in line as part of your eco-refurbishment? Replacing an old G-rated boiler with a new A-rated condensing boiler and a full set of heating controls can save up to a quarter on your heating bills and up to 1,300kg of CO2 year.

Renewable sources of heating, such as ground source heat pumps, solar thermal or photovoltaic roof panels might save far greater amounts of CO2, but they are expensive. In recognition of the expense of turning homes into warm havens of clean energy, the government is currently considering schemes to encourage the switch to green. It will pilot a move from upfront payment to “pay as you save” models of long-term financing for energy saving, which might be a loan to pay for a heat pump or solar panels that stay with the house when you leave. From April 2010 people who produce surplus energy will be able to sell it back to the grid. The Department for Energy and Climate Change estimates that a household with a well-sited photovoltaic installation could make over £800, plus save around £140 a year on bills.

“Eco-refurbishment brings real advantages for the householder,” says Alker. “Some of the more disruptive measures might be a hassle at the time, but a ‘green’ home means a better quality of life as well as being better for the environment.”

Original Source: The Guardian

Solar links

Heat my Home Solar Panels UK
Solar Panels and Solar Installers and Installations
Solar Panels in the UK
Green Energy Suppliers, Providers, Schemes and Tariffs
Solar Panels Forum
Learn about Solar Heating Panels Installations
Learn about Evacuated Tubes Solar Panels Installations
DIY Solar Panels Kits
PV Solar Panels Installations
Learn about Heat Pumps

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Renewable Energy | No Comments »

How to generate renewable energy says Good Energy

Friday, October 9th, 2009

We have the technology – all we have to do is use it.

On 31st October 2009 from 1.30pm to 8pm Good Energy, the 100% renewable electricity supplier, is hosting at its wind farm in Delabole, North Cornwall ‘Power from the People: How to Generate Renewable Energy’ a day of master classes dedicated to helping everyone from homeowners to landowners to get a renewable energy project up and running.

Calling on the expertise of Good Energy’s team, our partners and our generators, we will be delivering two sets of seminars:

The Microgeneration seminars – will deliver detailed information to people looking to produce energy on a domestic or small commercial scale on how to plan and successfully complete their project, get paid for their energy and minimise their energy costs.

The Commercial Generation seminars – will provide farmers, landowners and communities planning to begin a commercial scale renewable energy project with expert advice on project planning, project financing and securing contracts for their power.

At the event there is also opportunity to visit the Delabole wind farm, get inside the existing turbines and learn about the repowering project that is currently taking place. And after the event there will be a reception for all the event goers to meet and to network with the experts, enjoy a glass of wine and a buffet of organic produce.
———————————
We’d love you to join us:
The Gaia Centre, Good Energy Wind Farm, Delabole, North Cornwall
Saturday 31st October 2009
1.30pm-8.00pm

Tickets for Good Energy’s Power from the People event are now on sale for £20. Benefit from a 25% discount by booking before 15th October.

Call our events team today on 0870 043 3929 or email goodenergy@rem-events.com to book you tickets.

Original Source: Good Energy

Solar links

Heat my Home Solar Panels UK
Solar Panels and Solar Installers and Installations
Solar Panels in the UK
Green Energy Suppliers, Providers, Schemes and Tariffs
Solar Panels Forum
Learn about Solar Heating Panels Installations
Learn about Evacuated Tubes Solar Panels Installations
DIY Solar Panels Kits
PV Solar Panels Installations
Learn about Heat Pumps Installations

Tags:, , ,
Posted in Renewable Energy | No Comments »

Window of opportunity for solar panels

Monday, September 14th, 2009

The non-appearance of the heralded “barbecue summer” underlines just how unpredictable the British weather can be. But even so, a generous incentive scheme is being launched next year to encourage homeowners to create and use their own solar energy.

The government is finalising plans for a “feed-in tariff”, which will pay homeowners for every unit of solar power they generate, even if they use it themselves. Providers say that this will turn clean energy generation into a viable investment for homeowners, rather than just a way to soothe green consciences.

People who act early and install solar panels on their properties over the next few months will also qualify for a government grant of £2,500 towards installation costs, which are typically between £8,000 and £11,000, depending on the size of the property. Once the tariff is up and running, and people have the opportunity to make money out of the energy they create, the government plans to withdraw this grant.

“There is an interesting window between now and next April as people can take advantage of two overlapping government incentives,” says Derry Newman, chief executive of Solarcentury, a provider of solar power systems. “If they spend now, they can get some help with the capital outlay and then from April they can feed into the new tariff.”

Demand for solar energy has grown gradually in the UK but still accounts for a very small proportion of the market compared with other European countries.

Lewis estimates that a 2kW system is likely to cost around £12,500 to install and could generate around 1,700 units of electricity per year. This would translate into an annual profit of around £770 taking into account the income for generation and export and the benefit of cheaper electricity bills. Based on these figures, it would take a household around 15 years to recoup its investment, while those that take advantage of the £2,500 grant would see this reduced to around 12 years.

Newman says the total amount of solar energy produced in the UK only amounts to 0.5 per cent of that produced by Germany. However, the growth targets are ambitious. By 2020, the UK government wants at least 30 per cent of energy used in the UK to come from renewable sources, compared with 5 per cent now. The new tariff scheme is designed to help hit these targets.

At present, households with solar power systems can generate renewable electricity for their own home, helping to lower fuel bills and combat climate change. Some energy providers will pay customers for energy they do not use themselves. “Green” providers, such as Good Energy and Ecotricity, might buy back electricity from solar panel systems at around 10p-12p per unit, while the price offered by the larger providers varies. British Gas and Scottish Power offer around 5p per unit, while Scottish & Southern pays up to 28p per unit.

However, homeowners are not typically paid for any solar energy they use themselves.

This is set to change in April, when the new feed-in tariff comes in. Through this scheme, people with their own source of renewable energy will be paid a guaranteed fixed price for each unit of electricity they generate, even if they use it to power their own home.

Rob Lewis at the Energy Saving Trust points out that the tariff will be open to households that generate energy through other renewable means, such as wind power, as well as solar. However, wind power is suitable for far fewer households.

Newman says that while uptake of the government grants for solar installation has so far been weak, the new tariff should be a catalyst for a rise in demand.

The details of the tariff are still being set by the government but the proposed price is 36.5p per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity generated, fixed for 25 years. This is around three times the amount most households pay through their regular energy bills, but still lower than the price paid in other countries. Households are also likely to be able to sell surplus electricity back to the grid for an extra 5p per unit.

The amount of solar energy that can be generated by a residential property will depend on its size and location. A typical terraced or semi-detached house might hold a 2kW system, according to the Energy Saving Trust. Detached properties, farmhouses and barns could generate double that.

Original Source: Financial Times

Solar links

Heat my Home Solar Panels UK
Solar Panels and Solar Installers and Installations
Solar Panels in the UK
Green Energy Suppliers, Providers, Schemes and Tariffs
Solar Panels Forum
Learn about Solar Heating Panels Installations
Learn about Evacuated Tubes Solar Panels Installations
DIY Solar Panels Kits
PV Solar Panels Installations
Learn about Heat Pumps Installations

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Solar Panel News | No Comments »

The future is bright for solar panels

Tuesday, August 4th, 2009

The future is looking greener for investors as ambitious government targets for generating renewable energy are providing fund managers with new opportunities.

More than 30 per cent of the UK’s electricity could eventually be derived from renewable sources, according to the latest estimates, compared with just 5.5 per cent today. This would be twice the government’s legally-binding target of 15 per cent by 2020.

Much of this is expected to come from wind power but other sources, including biomass and tidal power, will also increasingly be drawn upon. The government plans to invest £100bn in the renewable energy sector, which could involve the creation of as many as 500,000 jobs. It has also set out new plans for reducing carbon emissions to help tackle climate change.

Fund managers say this increased commitment, together with a similar focus from the US, plus stronger moves towards clean energy from China, is welcome news for an industry that has been slow to take off – and has suffered more than others in the recent downturn.

Edward Guinness, one of the managers of Guinness Asset Management’s Alternative Energy Fund, says green energy companies were trading at a premium to the market before the downturn but were hit hard last year, particularly as funding dried up.

His fund lost 40 per cent in the year to the end of June, according to total return figures from Lipper.

A number of other renewable energy funds, most of which have been set up in the past couple of years, have had an equally difficult run. Lipper’s rankings show that, over the same period, BlackRock’s New Energy Investment Trust, the Premier Renewable Energy trust and the Jupiter Green Investment Trust all saw negative returns of at least 30 per cent.

But new opportunities now look to be arising, particularly in wind power .

“The area where government policy is really having an impact on our investing is on the wind side,” says Guinness. “The UK has much better resources in this area than in solar, and the government wants to make it easier to get planning permission.”

His fund typically invests in companies that derive at least 50 per cent of their business from either the manufacture and development of renewable energy generation or the improvement of energy efficiency.

Guinness says solar stocks performed well last month as demand started to pick up following a difficult 18 months, in which the prices for solar panels halved. The lower prices should trigger stronger growth, he says, while providers should also receive a boost from cheaper raw materials, lower manufacturing costs and improved subsidies.

Luciano Diana, portfolio manager of the Pictet Clean Energy fund, says wind power is more attractive than solar because it is much cheaper. He claims that, for the first time, there is a real push to new energy around the world.

“For a long time, it has just been Europe supporting it but now there is a big push from the US and also Chinese packages dedicated to cleaner energy,” he says.

Fund managers say much of the new government investment will be captured by the large utilities.

The Association of Investment Companies argues that moves to combat climate change should prove beneficial to some of the big utility and infrastructure investment companies.

John Murray, chairman of Ecofin, which invests in the utility and infrastructure sectors, says utilities have been largely oversold in recent months as investors have moved back into cyclical and recovery stocks. As a result, some companies in the sector are looking the cheapest they have been since 2003.

But, he points out: “Unlike in 2003, the fundamentals of the global utility sector are generally sound. Balance sheets are in relatively good shape and the utilities are proving that they are able to access long-term capital markets.”

Original Source: The Financial Times

Solar links

Heat my Home Solar Panels UK
Solar Panels and Solar Installers and Installations
Solar Panels in the UK
Green Energy Suppliers, Providers, Schemes and Tariffs
Solar Panels Forum
Learn about Solar Heating Panels Installations
Learn about Evacuated Tubes Solar Panels Installations
DIY Solar Panels Kits
PV Solar Panels Installations
Learn about Heat Pumps Installations

Tags:, , , ,
Posted in Solar Grants News | No Comments »

Chartering the green revolution

Friday, July 24th, 2009

Ed Miliband’s 1,000-page opus is big on aspiration but short on detail, say industry chiefs, and Labour’s low-carbon dreams will remain just that without investment.

Ed Miliband, the former Cabinet Office minister and confidant of Gordon Brown, was given one of the hardest jobs in government. Chosen to head the new Department for Energy and Climate Change, he was tasked with charting a path to revolution.

New Labour has long spoken of a future in which Britain would be ringed by thousands of windmills, turning in the breeze to create pure, pollution-free power.

Dirty old coal-fired power stations would bury their harmful exhaust deep underground; underwater turbines would draw energy from the tides. Our homes would be kitted out with smart meters to give us by-the-minute updates on our energy use and carbon footprint.

The vision was there. What was missing was the detail, and it was up to Miliband and his team at the cutting-edge energy department to provide it.

Last week, he revealed the fruits of that labour. The documents comprising the latest iteration of the government’s plan for a green future weighed in at more than 1,000 pages.

They contained a few firsts. The government finally admitted in stark terms that energy bills will have to rise – by 17% for business and 8% for households – to decarbonise the economy.

It broadly laid out how the £150 billion investment required over the next 20 years will be distributed (offshore wind looks like the biggest winner).

Every government department was given a carbon budget. More than 400,000 “green jobs” are expected to be created and no fewer than half a dozen quangos will be set up to oversee the transition to deliver an 18% cut in carbon emissions from present levels by 2020.

Industry, however, was sceptical. It has seen targets come and go before. This is Labour’s fourth energy white paper since Creating a Low Carbon Economy was published in 2003. It is by far the most comprehensive but many of the hardest questions remain unanswered.

Solar at micro level, payments to homeowners to feed power into the grid could stimulate investment in solar photovoltaic (PV) The current scheme is not nearly generous enough. “It might stimulate the market but it’s not going to push it toward the explosive growth rates seen in countries like Germany,” said Leggett.

With solar PV, the UK could be generating 5% of its electricity needs by 2020. The EU intends to generate 12% of all its electricity from PV by 2020. The government’s Renewable Energy Strategy, by contrast, assumes that solar PV will contribute only about 2% of the UK’s renewable electricity by that date.

Recognising the size of the task, the government has relaxed a previously recommended timeline for achieving the transformation. The independent advisory Committee on Climate Change said this year that the power sector should remove virtually all emissions by 2030. This has now been pushed to 2050.

What is certain is that it is all going to be very expensive – and we will be footing a big chunk of the bill, either through public subsidies or higher energy bills. The government predicts an 8% rise in household energy bills, and 17% for industry.

Original Source: The Telegraph

Solar links

Heat my Home Solar Panels UK
Solar Panels and Solar Installers and Installations
Solar Panels in the UK
Green Energy Suppliers, Providers, Schemes and Tariffs
Solar Panels Forum
Learn about Solar Heating Panels Installations
Learn about Evacuated Tubes Solar Panels Installations
DIY Solar Panels Kits
PV Solar Panels Installations
Learn about Heat Pumps Installations

Tags:, ,
Posted in Renewable Energy | No Comments »

Solar panels are helping us to save money

Monday, June 29th, 2009

Solar panels are helping to not only save a Worcester family money but earn them some extra cash as well.

The Jenkins household is reaping the benefits of having 16 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels installed on the south- facing roof of their home in Hillery Road, Spetchley.

Dad Matthew Jenkins reckons the family save at least £400 every year on their electricity bills.

He said: “When it’s sunny, like it kind of is at the moment, the panels generate electricity. Even on a cloudy day we get a bit.

“On a sunny day we get quite a lot and if we generate more than we’re actually using we export that back onto the national grid.

“We actually get paid for that and get a fair bit of money for it.”

Mr Jenkins, a website designer who runs his business from home, said he used money from his redundancy at Kays to help pay for the PV panels which cost £15,500.

The panels absorb energy from the sun and a converter fitted in the loft of the semi-detached home turns that into electricity that can be used to power lighting and everyday items such as kettles, irons, computers and televisions.

The panels have generated more than 6,160 kw/h since they were installed in October 2006. Mr Jenkins said while it could take up to 20 years before the panels actually pay for themselves it has helped to ease a lot of financial worry for the family.

“It will take quite a long time to get the money back but it’s a long-term investment,” he said. “If the cost of electricity goes up it doesn’t affect us and we will probably get paid more for any extra we generate.

“We don’t have to worry about whether electricity bills are going to go up.”

Mr Jenkins, who lives with his wife Mitra and sons Harrison, aged six, and Anton, three, said the panels have also turned their house into a talking point. “Our road is quite quiet and not many people go past but when they do we often see a few people looking up and pointing at the roof because they look different to other types of panels,” he said.

Mr Jenkins, who recently became a member of the Green Party, is now urging other people to think about installing solar panels on their homes to make Worcester a more environmentally-friendly city.

He said he would be willing to meet people interested in learning more about the PV panels.

He has even set up a website mitrajenkins.org.uk, which records how much energy the solar panels produce every month.

Original Source: Berrows Journal

Solar links

Heat my Home Solar Panels UK
Solar Panels and Solar Installers and Installations
Solar Panels in the UK
Green Energy Suppliers, Providers, Schemes and Tariffs
Solar Panels Forum
Learn about Solar Heating Panels Installations
Learn about Evacuated Tubes Solar Panels Installations
DIY Solar Panels Kits
PV Solar Panels Installations
Learn about Heat Pumps Installations

Tags:, ,
Posted in Solar Panels UK | No Comments »

« Older Entries