 Going Solar -
My Solar Photovoltaic Panels |
Thanet array seen from top of North Downs near Lenham. Turbines are about 30 miles away - see map
Headlines
GOVERNMENT DELIVERS RAW DEAL FOR SOLAR THERMAL INDUSTRYToday the SOLAR Trade Association welcomed the announcements by Ed Milliband regarding SOLAR energy, but expressed disappointment that the proposed rate of investment will be lower than that for other green energy technologies.
SOLARUK tests the effects of roofing colour on SOLAR Collectors
SOLAR UK teamed up with Renolit UK Ltd, manufacturers of the Alkorplan roofing membrane, for a trial showing that its SOLAR panels work 9% more efficiently when installed on this white reflective flat roof waterproofing surface known as Alkorbright.
SOLAR panel costs 'set to fall'
The cost of installing and owning SOLAR panels will fall even faster than expected according to new research. Tests show that 90% of existing SOLAR panels last for 30 years, instead of the predicted 20 years.
Wind turbines and SOLAR panels could be put up without planning permission
Wind turbines up to 15 metres high could be put up in industrial estates or farmland without planning permission under plans published by the government today.
Feed in tariffs
 Solar Photovoltaic (Electric) My Solar Electric installation was installed during a new build of a roof extension. Though when I did it, it was difficult to justify in a very hard nosed financial sense, installing solar electric panels as part of a new build is now starting to make financial sense as the cost of solar panels comes down and energy goes up. In particular, commercial buildings that might have otherwise expensive cladding, might consider lower cost but equally attractive solar panels which both generate electricity and add to the company's environmental credentials. My costings were based on: The installtion was going to be about £17,000 of which half was covered by a Government grant. The area covered by solar electric panels was going to be about 35 m2 which would save me some £4,000 in roofing costs. ie the total additional cost to me would be £4,500 which represented a lot less than 10% of the overall build cost of my extension. The return is about 1,500 units per year which at current costs represents about £150 of savings. In addition, as a family we are now more careful with electricity, as we generate a portion of it ourselves and have actually seen our bill go down by about £250 a year! Its still a long time to pay back the installation cost but with electricity prices set to keep going up, my investment might turn out to have been more cost effective than I 1st thought.
Making my free electricity go further Though we are part of the demonstration export meter scheme, we do not actually sell our electricity preferring to purchase at the lowest cost - we're already practically doing more than most so do not see an moral problems here! So, we want to make the most of any electricity that we do generate, to do this we:
The freezers have extra expanded polystyrene cladding to make them extra A++ rated so they are virtually free to run and they will easily last extended periods without the compressor running. Using Solar PV as a cladding Material Many buildings use cladding materials which cost £1000 per square metre. The bronze façade to the new Westminster parliament office complex cost over £7000 per square metre. By contrast, solar PV cladding - which can look every bit as attractive as marble or bronze - costs as little as £500 per square metre. It would also have provided clean and indeed free power for the building.
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