The commercial sector holds the key!

Given the latest changes in the Feed-in Tariffs scheme, it is not surprise that sales in the domestic solar sector have fallen down. However, many professionals in the solar energy sector believe that solar energy for companies is what comes next.

With energy prices rapidly increasing, the costs of maintaining a company have ever been so difficult to afford. Solar energy is now the way business owners can reduce or even cut their electricity bills. The commercial sector is waking up to the opportunities offered by PV, and businesses are now much better to understand the figures involved, and how these can be easily changed thanks to solar panels.

On the other hand, global opportunities for the solar industry are still growing with great potentials in the USA, China and Japan, but also in Europe, where the market shows development towards smart solutions, high efficiency for small systems and limited space, residential systems and self consumption. Solar panel installers are also doing their best to improve the solar market, offering the lowest prices for solar panel installations, and also starting innovative projects to install solar panels in communities and neighborhood in all around the UK. Also, lots of solar energy installers are already selling solar pv kits, that could become self-funding without the need for a Feed-in Tariff. The idea is homeowners and business owners want to do something for reduce their electricity bills and help the environment, more than just generating benefit from the Feed-in Tariffs scheme.

In my opinion, solar pv has just started. There is too much to do yet, too many ideas to develop, and too many projects to see. For a company or for a particular, it’s never too late to make this sort of investment. Whether the Feed-in Tariffs are reduced or not, solar energy will always cut electricity bills, as well as stop your company carbon emissions.

The UK has to switch OFF!

Homeowners are urged to take control to avoid fuel poverty. The UK could be less than three years away from an energy affordability crisis, according to a report recently published earlier this year. The research says if the high pricing trends continue, the average of energy consumed by each home will break the £1,500 anual barrier by 2015, becoming simply unaffordable for more than one half of the population.

Homeowners have to fit controls in order to control their energy consumption and reduce electricity bills. This is a very serious situation. Homeowners must be smart and environmentally friendly, take control now and start checking if they have enough heating controls in place.

The UK Government has recently announced some recent measures related to the future of the electricity in the UK that will save up to £300 million. Ministers have decided to modify electricity generators’ licenses to prevent behaviour that allows companies to profit unfairly at the expense of customers during periods of transmission constraint. DECC also published another project consisting of building energy efficient improvements and lighting controls in the commercial sector, and pump up efficiency in the industry.

This autumn is also expected to be the start of The Green Deal, which aims to reduce carbon emissions cost thanks to improving the energy efficiency of the houses, as well as to improve safety in homes, all around the UK. Some measures that will be taken in order to have a energy efficient home are heating control, solar energy, wind power, and other renewable sources. The benefits of the Green Deal will enable householders to fund the costs of energy efficiency measures through savings on their electricity bills. By finding your solar panels installer in London, you could install solar pv and start making money and saving energy all of a sudden!

New Solar FITs from August 2012 – Is that bad?

The Government published last week what will be the new FITs from 1st August 2012. From that date, the rate will be 16 per Watt for systems up to 4kW if the house meets, the Energy Efficiency requirements. If the house is doesn’t meet that energy efficiency requirement, then the tariff will be lower: only 7.1p per kWh.

Although we are losing 5p per kWh, the truth is solar panels uk installations prices have dropped more than 50% since the FIts started so revenue is right now the same as in that date, giving a 6% of return in domestic solar photovoltaic panels installations, and a 8% in larger solar panels installations. But, the new tariffs will now be paid over 20 years, five less than before.

These news can make you feel dejected. But anyway, in my opinion, we at least have FITs! If you have a look to what happened in other countries with tariffs from solar energy, the truth is that lots of Governments in Europe and also all around the world encouraged people to install solar photovoltaic panels on their roofs, and they all have now taken off their Feed-in Tariffs. That has provoked an anger reaction in their inhabitants, as they were expecting to receive money, and they don’t have anything!

So, if we try to be rational, let’s say how lucky we are that our Gov is still mantaining the tariffs and giving us some benefit!

And what about if Feed-in Tariffs continue going down? Well, Solar is great, and the sooner it’s down to a price whereby we don’t need a fit, the better! Do you change your washing machine for one that uses less energy? Well, this is the same: once solar panels are more cheaper, everybody will buy them as a way to save energy, not only to make benefit.

Feed-in Tariffs – The July cuts

As said in a post from 1 May – ‘Feed-in Tariffs in the UK – What’s new?‘ – , new Feed-in Tariffs that started on 1st April 2012 are likely to change in July, because of a new decision of the UK Government, which will include a new and lower new Feed-in Tariff. Although solar panels uk installations with that newest Feed-in Tariff will return less money, the UK Government justifies this announcement saying that the idea of the return on investment was always thought to be betwwen 5 and 8% for well located arrays – south or south west facing roofs.

According to installations levels, the Government is likely to introduce a new FIT rate of between 15.7 and 16.7p, depending on who’s saying it. Other just think they’ll keep the last FITS introduced by 1st April.

Although is not still clear what the effects of this cuts will be, the truth is that lots of solar energy supporters and homeowners are getting really annoyed with all these changes the UK Government has been making in this last year. The platform Our Solar Future is carrying out ‘Cut Don’t Kill’, a campaign  which aim to spread solar energy all along the UK.They defend solar power above all other sources of energy because, they say, there are not too may left, and because there are too many positive reasons to join the solar power club. As they say in their website, the Government cuts in Solar PV Feed-in Tariffs by 50% would devastate the solar power industry and jeopardise 25,000 jobs, which is, in my opinion, completely true.

They offer to their visitors to sign their petition to the Government to stop cutting Feed-in Tariffs. If you are interested in helping them, click in the link above:

http://www.oursolarfuture.org.uk/support-solar/

For more information about solar power cuts and Cut Don’t Kill campaign, visit their website: http://www.oursolarfuture.org.uk/.

Energy Performance Certificates at a glance

The UK Government has recently introduced the new Feed-in Tariffs which also come with some new changes: From 1st April on, those properties that apply for the highest Feed-in Tariffs – 21p/kWh – for their solar panels uk systems will also be required to reach an Energy Performance Certificate Level D or above. Otherwise, solar pv systems installed on properties with a lower EPC level would only be eligible for a lower tariff, 9p/kWh. However, if it’s not possible to obtain an Energy Performance Certificate for the property, this requirement would not take effect.

Although there are lots of information about new Feed-in Tariffs on the Internet, I found people is still lost with this Energy Performace Certificate, so I’ve decided to sum it. Find Energy Performance Certificate explanation below. Let’s see if it works!:

• Although there are some exceptions, in general, all buildings require an Energy Performance Certificate.
• Energy Performance Certificates give homeowners information about their home energy use.
• Energy Performance Certificates also make recommendations to reduce energy usage, make their home more energy efficient and, finally, how to save money thanks to it.
• Energy Performance Certificates also content the details of the EPC assessment person in charge, and also who to contact in case you have any doubt or complaint.
• Energy Performance Certificates are, basically, charts.
• Energy Performance Certificates are given to the new hosts when a house is bought or rented – ask for it in case you don’t receive it-. In the same way, if you are selling or renting your house, you’ll have to provide one to your new hosts. An Energy Performance Certificate is only valid for ten years.
• The cost of an EPC may change, as it depends on the market prices, and also on the size and location of the building, among other things.
• To get an Energy Performance Certificate, you will need to find and contact an accredited domestic energy assessor who carries out and produces the certificate according to your home condition.

 

Coming soon: more information about Energy Performance Certificates, how to reach Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Level D or above and EPC  accredited assessors in my Blog.

 

 

Feed-in Tariffs in the UK – What’s new?

From 1st April 2012, Feed-in Tariffs in the UK have changed: all homeowners who had installed solar panels under 4kW and also applied to receive these tariffs on or after that date, will receive 21p per kWh they send to the grid, in comparison with the 43.3p/kWh old tariff, which will continue working, but only to those who applied before 1st April 2012.

That means a reduction of more than 50% of the money old solar panels users are receiving. And this situation will also get worse to those whose house is not an EPC band D or above on the date the application for FITs is made, which are supposed to receive only 9p/kWh.

With the old Feed-in tariffs, 43.3p/kWh, the average household could expect to be receive £1,200 a year, according to the energy saving trust estimations. But even with a so much reduced tariff, house owners will continue making a good benefit. It’s said that house owners who had installed solar panels uk and also applied to receive Feed in tariffs after 1st of April will receive, as an average, around £50 , which is £600 a year. If that’s true, a £9,999 solar panels installation will be paid in approximately 16 years and hence, after these 16 years, house owners would be producing only benefits. Although the initial investment was recovered in ten years before new FITs, in my opinion, that’s still good, isn’t it?

However, I honestly think solar energy, or the electricity generated by solar panels shouldn’t be subsidied anymore, as although the energy supplier weren’t paying anything, house owners would be saving money anyway, as they energy use would be reduced. In fact, I’ve recently read that costs of solar panels supply will come down so much in the next decades that subsidies won’t be needed anymore, and the estimation of the total subsidy over the next thirty years will be a maximum of £9 per household.

Learn about Solar Energy History

Microgeneration – What’s that?!

Microgeneration is a term used for the generation of low, zero or renewable energy at a ‘micro’ scale, and covers all the energy generation resources that are decentralised. In legal terms, Microgeneration is defined as <45kWs (micro-heat) and <50kWs (micro-electricity) under the Energy Act 2004.

The first and primary resource of microgeneration which is renewable is solar energy. Solar photovoltaics (energy from sunlight), micro-wind turbines (energy from the movement of the wind), micro-hydro (energy from the movement of the water) and micro-CHP are considered Micro-electricity technologies. Heat pumps (that is, air, water and earth sources), biomass or biofuels (plants grown or fuel) and solar thermal are considered Micro-heat.

There are lots of different technologies available in the UK. Find them below in alphabetical order:

• Air Source Heat Pumps: Also known as ASHPs, generate heat with the energy absorb from the air.

• Ground source heat pumps: Generate heat with the energy absorb from the ground.

• Hydroelectricity: Water in movement is used to generate electricity.

• Micro-CHP: Micro combined heat and power. This technology generates heat and electricity at the same time, and is currently powered by mains gas or LPG. In the future there may be models powered by oil or bio-liquids.

• Solar panels (PV): Sunlight is used to generate electricity.

• Solar water heating: Sunlight is used to heat the water of houses and buildings.

• Wind turbines: Wind is used to generate electricity.

• Wood-fuelled heating: Also called biomass systems, burn wood pellets, chips or logs to to provide warmth in a single room or to power central heating and hot water boilers.

 

By installing microgeneration technologies, consumers and communities are contributing to european renewables targets and development, helping cut greenhouse emissions, and, summing, fighting against the climate change. As said in the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive, the UK’s main environmental target is to achieve 15% of its energy consumption from renewables by 2020. Do you think that’s possible?

Choosing a solar installer: Things to avoid when installing solar panels – Part 3

Last two weeks I gave some things to avoid when contracting a solar panels installer. Summing up, you should:

1. Do your research to find a secure company.

2. Be sure your company is correctly qualified.

3. Beware of these companies that ask for all the money before doing the solar panels installation.

4. Be sure your solar panels warranty covers at least the first 10 years.

5. Ask for quotes from their last customers before contracting them.

Let’s add some more…

Things to avoid when installing solar panels uk

6. Ask the company if the solar panels they recommend you are sized specifically for your site, based on occupancy and current energy usage, or if it is just a standard size.

7. Never sign up in the first day. Take your time to think about what they said and offered, and do your research before and after meeting them. Solar panels will be there although you need two weeks to think about it!

8. If you are installing more than one technology system, check that each installer understands the other technology and if they are also working together or at least understanding what the other is doing. Check whether they have done a similar installation before, and ask for references or ex customers.

9. Once your solar panels are installed ask your installer to show you how to use it, how it works with your existing plumbing or heating and how to get the best out of the system. You have to know everything about your installation to get the best of it. Other way, you’d be wasting your time and money.

10. Once installed, check if your system is performing to it’s maximum potential on a day to day basis. Contact your installer and ask them to help you, the must give you a hand with that too.

Solar Panels Installers in Hampshire

Choosing a solar installer: Things to avoid when installing solar panels – Part 2

Last week I started to give you some tips to have in mind before contracting a solar panels installer. Let’s remind them:

1. Do your research to find a secure company, avoid these that have something suspicious, or don’t say who they are subcontracting or who they suppliers are.

2. Be sure your company is correctly qualified: All qualified solar panels installers in the UK must possess and MCS and REAL accreditation.

3. Beware of these companies that ask for all the money before doing the solar panels installation. The most usual deposit required is between 10 and 25%. Avoid these who ask for more or even the whole payment.

Things to avoid when installing solar panels uk

Once we’ve reminded these tips, let’s go for some new ones!

4. Solar panels must always have a warranty of at least 10 years. This solar panels warranty must be given to you by the company you have contracted. These warranties can be usually extended for 15 years more, that is, your panels can have a total warranty of 25 years. This warranty extension can be usually done for an extra costs, and is the only way to ensure anything is goint to be wrong for the next 25 years!

5. When contacting with the solar panels installers, asking if they have any quote for another customer could be a good idea. You could ask them if you can contact that customer, to know how everything went, if he was happy with the final product and if he is still satisfied with his solar panels. Don’t trust in these companies that avoid telling you about the customers they’ve had. That’s definitely the way to know if they are a scam company or if they are a real a good one solar panels installations business: If they actually have a satisfied customer, they shouldn’t avoid let you know about him, because they’ll be more than proud of their work!

Choosing a solar installer: Things to avoid when installing solar panels – Part 1

Are you interested in installing solar panels at home? When we decide investing a great amount of money in home improvements – as a solar panels installation in the UK could be – we have to make sure everything is going to be as expected. After researching a little bit on the Internet, and also thanks to my experience and knowledge, I’ve made a list of tips for those who are thinking in installing solar panels at home. Follow the instructions below to get what you want when signing a contract with a company for a solar panels installation:

1. Do your research to find a company that you like and is also in the area where you live. Find out how long they have been in the business and also if they subcontract any of their work, and in that case, to who (this is really important, because if they do it, you’ll also to research about the subcontracted company, and do the same process again).

2. Are they correctly qualified? All qualified solar panels installers in the UK must possess and MCS and REAL accreditation. If they don’t have these accreditations, you won’t be eligible for the Feed-in-Tariffs, that is, you won’t receive any money for the electricity you are generating. In addition, these accreditations mean that the company makes the highest quality solar panels uk installations, and also that its workers are perfectly qualified. Avoid all the companies that offer cheap installations, or any other advantage, if they don’t have MCS and REAL accreditations.

3. Beware of the companies who ask the money up front. Usually, a deposit of between 10% and 25% is required. But avoid these who want all the money (or even more than 25%) before proceeding with the installation: the company could be in a bad situation, economically speaking.

Here you have my first three tips for when choosing a solar panels installer. More info soon, keep on visiting!