Which Guide to Savings from Solar PV

A PV solar electricity system is more expensive than a solar water heating system, varying between £8,000 and £14,000 depending on the type and size of the system you're installing - but the savings are greater too. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a 2kWp-sized system can save you up to £200 on your electricity bill and provide 40% of your electricity needs a year. Our table compares the savings available from solar water heating and solar PV for a typical three bedroom semi-detached property.

Cost of alternative energy
Alternative energy	Installation cost	Government grant	Cashback	Annual savings for gas	Annual savings for electricity	Total annual income for gas	Total annual income for electricity
Solar PV	£8,000-£14,000	£0	£725	£110	£110	£835	£835
Solar thermal	£3,000-5,000	£400	£200	£60	£90	£260	£290

Using the table

Savings are based on a three-bed detached house, built 1930-49 with gas or electric central heating. We assume cavity walls, lofts and primary pipework are insulated. Installation costs: indicative cost of equipment and installation.Government grant: maximum available Low Carbon Buildings Programme grant, subject to availability. Cashback: estimated annual income from the feed-in tariff (takes effect April 2010) or renewable heat incentive (from April 2011) for typical installation. Annual savings: estimated for homes currently heated by gas or electricity. Total annual income: cashback plus annual savings.

Types of PV panel

The are three basic types PV panels: monocrystalline, polycrystalline (or multicrystalline) and amorphous. All are made from silicon, but differ in the way the silicon is cut and treated.

To install a system you need to decide how much electricity you want to generate. After submitting details of your property, a PV installer should help you to conduct a site survey and discuss your options with you.

Pros and cons of solar PV

Pros

• Only daylight is needed to create energy – not sunshine.
• Can be connected to the national grid and any excess electricity sold back to an electricity company.
• Can cut average household electricity bill by about 30%.

Cons

• A large roof area is needed to generate lots of energy.
• More expensive to buy and install than solar water systems.
• There's a high initial outlay - typically between £8,000 and £14,000.
• The efficiency of solar panels depends on the number of solar light hours and climate.
• Initial costs are higher than conventional electric and gas-heater systems.
• An unshaded, south-facing location is needed for installation.
• Solar panels can be heavy, so your roof must be strong enough to take their weight, especially if the panel is to be installed on top of existing tiles.

Which Magazine Advice On How to Buy Solar Power

Indian Parliament Install PV To Go Green

The Parliament building in New Dehli is going green by installing photo voltaic system to power Parliament House and its streets. But you dont need the sunshine of India to benefit from solar power in your home.

When you install solar panels on your roof, electricity is produced by sunlight through a process called solar photovoltaics. Photovoltaic cells are made of semi-conducting materials, so when any amount of sunlight strikes, it is converted into electricity.

Even if the sky is overcast, PV still produces electricity.This is because PV cells not only use direct sunlight, but also diffuse solar radiation, which is light that has been scattered by dust and water particles in the atmosphere.

Obviously the amount of useful electricity generated is proportional to the intensity of light energy which falls into the conversion area. However, you can still have an electricity supply even without the sun!

Shropshire Solar Power are Certificated Installers of the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) from the Department of Energy and Climate Change. We can help you decide whether a Photo Voltaic Solar Power System is the right system for you.

Solar-powered Boat

The Guardian online is reporting that makers hopeful that maiden voyage of world's largest solar-powered catamaran will prove that the sun can fuel the world.

The £16m catamaran – chosen for its energy-saving ability to "slice" rather than "ride" through waves – will store energy in its batteries by day. It can run on its stored energy in the absence of sunlight for around three days at 7.5 knots, the speed of an average oil tanker. At slower speeds it could run for up to 15 days, according to its makers.

The 31-metre-long multi-hull vessel, the brainchild of Swiss former ambulance driver Raphael Domjan, is topped by scores of photovoltaic panels, with a total area of more than 600 sq metres, that covers most of the catamaran's surface. Additional panels are attached to outriggers on its starboard, port and stern sections, that can be retracted in stormy weather. The solar energy, which will be stored in the largest lithium ion battery in the world, will power the vessel's silent, pollution-free electric motor.

Electricity Generation Tariff

From 1st April 2010, individuals, organizations and businesses in England, Wales and Scotland can claim cash back for electricity they produce from eligible renewable and low-carbon sources.

The scheme provides a fixed payment for the electricity you generate, called the “generation tariff”. It also pays for any unused electricity that you export to the grid, the “export tariff”. A further benefit is that you won’t have to pay for the electricity that you generate and use yourself.

Tariff levels (the amount you are paid) vary depending on the scale and type of generator installed. A typical 2.5kW, well-sited solar pv installation could save you around £140 per year on your electricity bill and you could earn around £900 a year through the cash back scheme.


FAQs from the Energy Saving Trust

Do I need to use a certified installer and product to benefit from the tariff?
Yes. Systems of up to 50kW must be approved by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MSC) in order to qualify for Feed-In Tariffs. For installations that are between 50kW and 5MW, generators will need to apply through Ofgem.

How do I get on to the scheme?
Once you have installed your eligible generating technology you should inform your chosen energy supplier. The supplier will then register your installation onto the Central FIT register and then pay your tariff.

Do I have to undertake energy efficiency measures?
It is highly recommended in order to achieve lower bills and energy use.

Do larger projects – such as community projects – qualify for the scheme or is it just limited to individual properties?
Installations of up to 5 megawatts could qualify for the scheme.

Where can I find more information about the technologies that I can install?
For impartial information about the different technologies that you can use, visit the Energy Saving Trust.

I rent my property. If my landlord installs an electricity generating technology, who would receive the cash-back?
It will be up to the landlords and tenants of dometic or commercial property to come to an arrangement about who benefits from the scheme.