This is a guest post from Hayley Jones, the Web Marketing Director at UK Energy Saving, a consumer website on all things energy saving and green. Her background is in marketing and languages, but outside of work she loves to get out into the Devon countryside with her family, catch up with friends or curl up with a good book.
Most of us can’t fail to have noticed at least some of the news stories around renewable energy, whether it be in relation to the electricity feed-in tariffs brought in this year, the environment-related elements of the government’s spending review or the upcoming World Climate Summit in Mexico. But what should we as householders be doing in terms of renewable energy? Well, there are a few options available but here we take a look at solar power, one of the key technologies which lends itself well to use on a domestic level.
There are two distinct ways in which the sun’s energy can be harnessed for the home, either by heating water or by generating electricity. In both instances, the ideal location for the solar panels is a south-facing roof without obstruction (for example from overhanging trees) in order to maximise the exposure to sunlight. In most cases planning permission is not required to install solar panels but it would be worthwhile confirming this with your local authority as listed buildings and those within conservation areas, for example, may require permission. Unfortunately government renewable energy installation grants were withdrawn earlier this year.
In terms of solar water heating (also known as solar thermal) you can choose from flat plate collectors or evacuated tubes which work in different ways to ‘collect’ the energy, with evacuated tubes usually slightly more efficient. These systems are at their most economical when fitted to provide a home with hot water for washing etc. but can also be used to heat the home itself. A typical 3-4m² domestic installation can be expected to cost about £4000 and provide upwards of 50% of hot water requirements. The savings provided will then depend on the type of fuel being replaced. It is expected that, from 2011-12, the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive will provide financial support towards solar thermal installations.
Solar photovoltaic panels, meanwhile, are made up of cells which convert the sun’s energy into electricity. In most domestic installations the system will be connected to the National Grid which provides two advantages. Firstly, during times when no or insufficient electricity is being produced, power can be taken from the grid. Secondly, when excess electricity is being generated, this can be exported back to the grid. The introduction of feed-in tariffs earlier this year have made this a financially attractive proposition with tariffs available at the moment of up to 41.3p/kWh (price set for 25 years) for all electricity generated plus 3p/kWh for exported energy. In addition, of course, you will be saving money on the electricity you would previously have bought from your energy company. Conditions apply to eligibility for feed-in tariffs so check this out first. Of course, you do need to buy the panels in the first place and these come in at approximately £12,000 for a typical 2.2kw domestic installation, with an array of this size generating about 40% of a household’s requirements. Taking feed-in tariffs into consideration, you would probably make savings and income of around £900 a year.
Clearly both types of solar power are a relatively long-term investment, but the pay-back period can be reduced by ensuring that energy use is minimised. Implementing energy saving measures should come before any renewable energy installation, thus saving money and reducing carbon emissions.
For more information on solar power visit the UK Energy Saving website where you will also find information on energy saving measures.
Sources: The Solar Trade Association, The Energy Saving Trust, The Department for Energy & Climate Change
