Solar tariff back to 43p after Government Appeal defeat

The Government lost their solar tariff appeal and the tariff rate is now back to 43p, whilst the Government consider an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Read more about the solar panel tariff announcement here.

Make the most of a combination of low installation rates and the high 43p solar panel tariff and get your instant online solar panel installation quote now - click here.

Big Fat FiT payment notification...

I know I'm supposed to be on holiday - I am (well packing the camping gear in the car as we speak) but I just wanted to share this Tweet I just saw... "Soo nice to get a big fat FiT payment notification in with the bills!" Just got me thinking - that would be really nice to come back from holiday and find on your doormat wouldn't it? Money actually being paid into your bank account. Phew! Well with such giddy thoughts, I'd better do my share of loading the camping gear into the car. See you all in just under a fortnight. Jonathan. photo credit: edd deane

Keeping FIT (not FiT)

FIT as in Fitness folks, not as in Feed-in Tariff.

Driving to work, I passed a fitness gym - all those people running, rowing, cross-training etc - Phew! It's enough to wear you out just watching. A good job I was sitting down I can tell you.

(mind you, the old 'clutch leg' gets plenty of exercise on a routine commute...)

Anyway it got me thinking (dangerous I know) - what if all the gyms had their training equipment hooked up to some form of motor/generator, which produced electricity?

All that energy being expended - surely it must be capable of powering at least the water coolers or the juicing machine?

Hamster-hybrid energy anyone?

photo credit: jeremy noble

Electric cars are cool...

Style icon Dr Who reckoned Fez's were cool.

Now radio DJ Mark Goodier has said his kids reckon their new Nissan Leaf electric car is cool too.

But what's really bought a smile to Mark's face is the fact that it's not costing him anything to re-charge his electric car thanks to a solar panel installation on the roof of his garage.

According to the Sunday Mail (Glasgow), it's the first solar powered vehicle in the UK.

The DJ even reckons there's enough energy left over from charging his family car, to export back to the Grid, making his overall cost savings around £25,000.

The Leaf (as driven by Mark) has a range of around 100 miles on a full charge and a top speed of 90mph.

photo credit: nikki bean

Rochdale Council roof rental scheme plans

Rochdale Online reports that Rochdale Council is planning it's own 'roof-rental' scheme, acting as the roof landlord, to take advantage of feed-in tariff payments.

Initial plans are for the scheme to include the council's social housing stock. The occupants would get the benefit of using the energy generated, whilst the council would get the benefit of the tariff payments.

Run in conjunction with a private sector solar panel installation company, a likely scenario is that the private company would install the panels and retain the feed-in tariff payment for a fixed period of around 7 years before handing the panels and the feed-in tariff payments over to the council.

Read the full report here.

photo credit: r m calamar

No one predicted large scale solar farms in the UK

Apparently, (according to the Guardian), a Government announcement is expected this week in response to fears that large scale solar farms could be draining the resources set aside for Feed-in tariffs for homeowners.

It's a scenario that seems to have caught everyone by surprise.

"According to Cornwall council, more than 60 domestic and foreign companies have expressed an interest in developing solar farms in the county".

Read the Guardian's report here.

photo credit: darwin bell

10 fold increase in UK solar power during 2010

Weren't we saying only yesterday that it was not hard to imagine the UK having to re-think it's solar panel feed-in tariffs if they got too over subscribed like Spain's have?

Statistics from Ofgem (the energy regulator) as reported on Click Green, reveal that despite 2010 being one of the coldest years on record, it didn't stop a 10 fold expansion of solar energy in the UK during 2010.

17,557 feed-in tariff registered installations are now generating a total of 57.6 megawatts of energy.

The exact breakdown shows how much the photovoltaic solar panel feed-in tariffs have played a part in that success - 16,375 of the 17,557 were photovoltaic installations, with 1,007 being wind turbines and 157 being hydro-electric sites.

The worry is that the Government could try to incentivise other renewables like wind by reducing solar subsidies or the tariffs get so over subscribed (as has happened in Spain) that they have no choice but to reduce the tariffs considerably.

If only we could look into a crystal ball? Whatever, a drop in the level of solar subsidy tariffs will become more likely the closer we get to the review period (last reported to be in 2013 I believe) so if you're looking to maximise your payback from your own solar panel installation, then the time to start investigating that is now.

photo credit: edkohler

Free solar panel installation schemes - how many homeowners rejected?

One 'free solar panel installation scheme' company alone has received some 42,000 enquiries from households interested in renting out their roof to them, in return for cheaper energy, during the Summer.

What we don't know is how many applications have been rejected due to individual property suitability - location, roof position, roof size and the presence of overhanging obstacles etc.

These installation companies are carrying all the risk and expense of a major installation, so it's not unreasonable to expect them to be quite fussy over which properties they deem suitable for qualification. If you are rejected, it doesn't necessarily follow that your property is unsuitable for installing solar energy, merely that it may not always produce the maximum return on available direct sunlight

Our Solar Panel Quoting website has also seen a massive increase in homeowner usage - people getting online quotes, looking to compare installation costs and the benefits of keeping all of the feed-in tariff contributions to themselves, by using both locally and nationally, recognised installation companies.

Many of these installation companies are offering some really good deals at the moment - one was offering free home energy surveys, whilst others have gone further by offering free cavity wall and loft insulation with their installations. Cavity wall insulation alone can save an average household around £110 a year off their energy bills - a CO2 saving of around 560kg a year. Loft insulation will save you a further £145 a year and save 730kg of CO2 (source: Energy Saving Trust). To make the most of your renewable energy generating installation, it's important to reduce your homes energy usage as much as possible (hence the free energy surveys etc.).

What the figures do illustrate is that more and more homeowners are considering solar energy as a viable energy source for their homes. Whether they're able (or willing) to take advantage of a free installation offer or would rather keep all the revenue generated for their own pockets, it's clear that renewable energy is now mainstream.

photo credit: peter kaminski

Renewable energy integration - Portugal gets it right

Syma Tariq (in the Guardian) reckons the UK should be looking to Portugal for an example of how to successfully integrate renewable energy into their lives.

True, this abundance of clean energy hasn't reduced bills (yet) but prices are expected to reach a plateau and start decreasing as more renewables come online. Lisbon residents have seen their own bills rise by nearly 16% in the last 5 years. Compare that with 14% rise in the UK in the same period but what have we got to show for it?

Portugals success lays with its Government - when power companies were unwilling to invest in a grid infrastructure to involve renewables, the Government bought the lines and began making the adaptations themselves.

They also introduced a range of feed-in tariffs which as Syma points out, our Government is trying to get rid of.

Portugal's been hugely successful - they've increased their reliance on green electricity from 17% to 45% in just five years whereas the UK has increased its own by just 3%.

We have a lot of catching up to do.

You can read Syma Tariq's full report by clicking here.

photo credit: pedrosimoes7

Ganging up on the Energy Secretary over fears of subsidy cuts

"the shadow of cuts?"

As reported by the Guardian last week, 22 different green, countryside and housing groups have written to Energy Secretary Chris Huhne warning against cutting renewable energy incentives like the Feed-in tariffs and the still hoped for Renewable Heat Incentive.

With heating responsible for 47% of the UK's emissions and 49% of energy demand, many are claiming that any Government serious about climate change can't afford to ignore the problem.

The recently introduced Feed-in tariffs for self generated electricity have seen a massive boom in interest, but such uptake causes huge problems for the Government in how to continue funding such a scheme.

And with worrying noises from Whitehall inferring that when the funding is reviewed in 2012, tariffs may be cut (as they have in other european countries), then it's not hard to see why so many are beginning to worry.

Economic knock-on effect

The economic knock on of such schemes is job creation in the energy and building sectors, whilst also boosting manufacturing. Supporters fear any cuts will set back their respective industry sectors considerably in what is a fragile state of recovery.

A spending review is due to be published on the 20th October and it will be very interesting to see if the Government have heeded the repeated calls to leave the present generation tariff schemes alone.

You can read the full report at the Guardian by clicking here.

If tariffs are facing cuts, then it's even more imperative to get your installation underway before the cuts affect you. Visit Solar Panel Quoter to get your online solar panel installation quote today.

photo credit: pixie

Renewable Energy Quotes - online prices for solar panel installation

Surely one of the most popular renewable energy quotes sought by homeowners is for solar panel installation on a home or business.

Aided by the recent Feed-in Tariffs scheme whereby those installing photovoltaic (electricity generating) solar panels can now get paid for the amount of energy they produce including any surplus they put back into the National Grid.

A similar scheme - Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is due to start in 2011 which will address solar hot water panels, ground source heat pumps etc.

Whilst there is conflicting stories from both sides on the real pay-back period for such installations and that 'pay-back' figure has been aided greatly by the new tariffs, as I was reading somewhere recently it's worth remembering that renewable energy 'does' have a payback period.

Unlike continuing to use existing energy suppliers where bills will only continue to rise.

It's important to choose a reputable company to handle your installation and a good place to start is Solar Panel Quoter. Start by entering your location details and the type of solar panel installation you're interested in and our clever website will try and give you an online price guide there and then.

Later, we'll give you the opportunity to see which companies local to you are offering the service you were interested in and let you read homeowner feedback from others who've used these companies - whether that was for just a quote or if they used them for the full solar panel installation.

Click here to start your solar panel enquiry.

Solar Panel Quter is part of the 'Quoter family of websites - we can offer you instant online home improvement quotes on everything from double glazing to fitted kitchens, loft and garage conversions to driveways and even garage doors, all from the comfort of your own home without the need for a salesman to call. All our 'Quoter sites will give you an instant online quote and our service can give you access to hundreds of homeowner comments and feedbacks on the companies local to you, to help you make an informed decision, before you let a salesman into your home.

Click here to visit the 'Quoter family of websites now.

photo credit: kevin dooley

How much does the solar energy industry rely on incentives and tariffs?

The money for endless feed in tariff applications and grants towards installing solar energy has to come from somewhere and it's fairly safe to assume that there isn't some magic money pot that fills itself every night.

The problem is that to many solar installation companies, the government incentives to homeowners to install solar energy on their properties is the life-blood of their businesses. If tariffs get cut or incentives reduced, there's an immediate knock-on effect.

Take this story from earlier this April as reported in The Arizona Republic.

It concerns the introduction of smaller rebates for homeowners, many of whom felt they had beat the deadline before the new lower rates were introduced.

There has been such a reaction that the Arizona Public Service Co allowed approx' 230 applications to go through at the old rebates.

However, read further and it becomes clear that the demand on the old rebates would have seen the funds set aside running out well before the scheme's deadlines.

Of course, this story is from one of America's sunnier states but it does highlight the urgency in taking advantage of any solar rebates or tariffs at the earliest opportunity, lest they are withdrawn or cut at a later date due to demand.

If you're thinking of installing solar panels on your property and making use of the Governments feed-in tariffs which started this April, then the first step is to get an online quote to see how much an installation will cost (click here), before going on to read feedback from other homeowners who've used solar panel installation companies near where you live.

photo credit: wolfgang staudt

Domestic Solar Panels - Renewable energy for the home

Generating energy - both electrical and hot water from domestic solar panels has suddenly become a lot more interesting with the recent start of Feed-in Tariffs for renewable electrical power generation.

Hot water and heat generation will have to wait until next April (2011) for the renewable heat incentives to begin.

The introduction of feed-in tariffs means that domestic installations could re-coup their investment faster - the pay back period as it is referred to, is shorter making the investment in domestic solar panels a lot more attractive for the homeowner.

There are also grants and schemes available that may part-cover installation costs so it's always worth checking with your local authority and your local solar panel companies about what's available and what the claim process is.

You can read more on the feed-in tariffs in a previous post by clicking here.

photo credit: jessica higgins

Where has everybody gone?

Where has everybody gone?

I must confess as an industry outsider that I'd been getting pretty excited about the coming of the Feed-in tariffs announcement last week and what that would mean by way of savings for homeowners who installed solar panels etc on their property.

I looked forward to seeing how much more quickly the payback period would be with the tariffs and I looked forward to seeing installation companies busily competing for the flood of orders with the usual enticing discounts.

So what's gone wrong? I don't see any of the above happening at all.

Firstly, there's been a lot of online comments made about how unexciting the announced tariffs actually were, with many industry folks lamenting that they're simply not going to attract homeowners to take up the typical installation costs.

Secondly, there doesn't seem to have been a lot of positive press about the merits of such a scheme at all. Perhaps the Government are waiting for the sun to shine?

It may be that the UK is a different market-place to the other european countries that have run similar tariff schemes with great success. Perhaps it takes more to get us British excited?

Whilst many were obviously hoping for bigger and better figures with regards what the tariffs are going to mean for your pocket, the truth of the matter is that, whilst this is still early days for the announcement, I don't see neighbours rushing out to join the scheme.

In fact - outside of the solar energy blogging and tweeting spheres, I haven't heard anyone else mention it at all. When I've introduced the subject into everyday conversations, I'm regarded with the same blank look as if I'm an eco-warrior (which I'm not).

There's obviously a shortage of public awareness - but who should address it? The Government, the Solar industry or even the power generators?

I await my leaflet through the door. I just hope it doesn't get lost like my swine flu leaflet.

photo credit: mrs logic

Feed-in Tariffs announced - How much money will you save on solar panel installation?

Feed-in tariffs announced - what can you expect to save on your solar panel installation costs?

Yesterday, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband announced the Governments feed-in tariffs for small scale low carbon electricity installations to begin in April 2010.

Under the tariffs, homeowners and small businesses will be able to earn an income from their photovoltaic or wind turbine installations etc, whilst also saving money off of their regular energy bills.

The Energy and Climate Change Secretary said "The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past. It will also change the outlook for a range of industries, in particular those in the business of producing and installing small scale low carbon technology.”

The tariffs are also good news for anyone with a photovoltaic solar panel or wind turbine installation on their home or small business, which was installed and commissioned after July 2008, as they will also qualify.

Feed-in tariffs are fixed in their period of years so maximum savings / cutting down the pay back period on an installation will only be achieved by joining the scheme at the earliest possible point - preferably having your installation installed and working when April 2010 arrives.

For many, it's the introduction of feed-in tariffs which finally makes installing solar or wind power a viable exercise in terms of recouping their initial installation costs in a quicker timeframe.

Show me the money!

Yes - it's all very well and good talking about incentives and commission dates but what do the tariffs really mean for the average homeowner? How much are you likely to earn from a typical photovoltaic solar panel installation on your home?

According to the Department of Energy & Climate Change, a typical 2.5kW photovoltaic solar panel installation in a good site could offer a homeowner a reward of up to £900 as well as saving them £140 a year on their electricity bills.

From 1 April householders and communities who install low carbon electricity technology such as solar photovoltaic (pv) panels and wind turbines up to 5 megawatts will be paid for the electricity they generate, even if they use it themselves. The level of payment depends on the technology and is linked to inflation.

The Tariff lifetimes are different for different types of renewables with Photovoltaic solar panels having a tariff of 25 years and Wind power 20 years.

Check out the full tariffs at the Department for Energy & Climate Changes website - (click here). Householders and communities can apply for the feed-in tariff from their electricity supplier from April 2010. Ofgem will administer the feed-in tariff scheme and suppliers will be responsible to paying the reward to their customers.

If the Feed-in tariffs are what you've been waiting for, then nows the time to start thinking about getting an installation quote. Solar Panel Quoter can help by providing a free online quote based on your requirements.

It's a completely FREE service but you could save pounds, plus, after you've got your online quote, we can also help by putting you in contact with reputable solar installation companies in your area.

photo credit: horia varlan

Feed in Tariffs for the UK - Rates may not be ambitious enough

If you've been looking into renewable energy for your home, then you'll probably be aware of proposed feed-in tariffs due in April this year.

New Energy Focus ran an excellent editorial yesterday which also gives us some idea of what to expect when the Government announce the tariffs next week.

There's some big statistics quoted on what you, the public, think of the proposals with Friends of the Earth claiming that two-thirds of population don't think the proposed levels are ambitious enough.

I guess we'll have to wait until next week to find out for sure, but in the meantime, you may enjoy reading the full article on New Energy Focus - click here.

photo credit: dan harrelson

Feed in Tariff's boost Italy's solar panel market

As reported at Business Green.com, another example of feed-in tariffs boosting take up of solar energy by households can be seen in Italy where photovoltaic capacity has risen 36-fold in the past three years.

Italy is now very close to the one gigawatt mark.

This contrasts heavily with the 22MW Italy was generating in 2007.

Despite expectations the Italian government will reduce feed-in tariff rates this year, confidence is high that the uptake of solar energy will continue.

Read more at Business Green.com.

Let's hope the expected feed-in tariffs in the UK will be just as welcomed. If you're tempted by the expected feed-in tariffs for the UK, it might be worth finding out how much a solar panel installation will cost you. Get an instant online quote at Solar Panel Quoter.co.uk by clicking here. It's a completely FREE service.

photo credit: andy hay

First sight of expected Feed-in Tariff rates?

Spotted amongst a report on the BBC website headlined "Solar's Dividend for Homeowners" in which figures from the renewable energy installation industry and solar energy research world discussed the increasing visibility of solar panels over the last decade and how with the introduction of the Feed-in Tariff's in April 2010, we can expect to see a lot more micro-generation happening, I saw this figure:

Ian Draisey - MD of Machynlleth-based Dulas Engineering, a firm specialising in installing various forms of renewable energy sources is quoted as saying "If you put solar panels on your roof the government will pay you 36p - or 36.5p is the number out for consultation and what we expect it to be," he said.
"They will pay that level for each kilowatt you generate whether you use it or not. And that is a substantial return given you pay 12-13p in the market at the moment.

The pay-back time on your investment could still be nearer to 10 years."

So we have a figure - not set in stone but an indication of what the renewable energy industry is looking for from the Government.

We'll have to wait till January 2010 (latest timeframe estimate) to see what's actually announced won't we?

photo credit: kevin collins

Feed in Tariffs - details won't be announced until next year.

Feed-in Tariffs are the latest buzz for the renewable energy installation companies as April 2010 looms every nearer - April is when the Government's feed-in tariffs scheme is supposed to be starting.

However, as reported on the Business Green website, fears are now growing that the April launch date could be delayed amidst news that the final details of the scheme, including the actual incentives will not be announced until the New Year.

Renewable energy firms are worried that the late announcement will leave them little time to put systems in place for the new incentives.

Some see the delay as a good thing though, claiming that this will give the renewable energy sector more time to lobby for greater incentives for homeowners and businesses to install renewable energies like solar panels and wind turbines.

With feed-in tariffs, the greatest savings are made by those that are able to get in on the scheme at the very start. Installation companies will no doubt see a boom in demand which could easily mean a delay in starting individual installations.

If you're planning on making use of the proposed feed-in tariff system when it is introduced or you're thinking of getting solar heating or photovoltaic systems installed on your property, you'll want to read the full article - click here.

photo credit: conner395

Solar Energy Trends for 2010 - glut of solar panels reduces and feed-in tariff's for UK

Solar Energy Trends for 2010 - glut of solar panels reduces & Feed-in Tariff's for the UK

We thought we'd take a few moments amidst what's left of 2009 to gaze into our crystal ball and try to deduce a trend or two for solar energy in 2010.

The big story of 2009 was the world glut of solar panels which came about as the recession cut deep into personal pockets and lines of credit dried up for funding larger projects. Then the Spanish market suffered a severe and sharp decline in demand due to changes in tariff's and funding and suddenly solar panel producers found themselves with completed units that no one wanted.

Prices fell and if you were in the market for a solar panel installation, then you probably got a bargain on the cost of the panels themselves. If larger commercial projects had the funding (which many didn't, hence the glut), then their set up costs were reduced dramatically.

Although it wasn't a World Cup year, Germany came to the rescue with strong demand, fuelled by government incentives and lower prices.

What was being painted as a very bleak over-stocked outlook for 2010 started to reverse as the stockpiles reduced and prices started to climb again.

The start of 2010 will still see a degree of over-stocking, the question is how long will that situation affect prices as we head into the Spring of 2010?

The other big news for 2010 is the introduction of feed-in tariff's in the UK.

Whilst at the time of writing this, there is still some confusion over what the tariff's will actually be, what they'll amount to etc and even some analysts questioning the previously published start date in April with so much still to be decided - Energy companies are claiming that a planned announcement in January on the tariff's won't leave them enough time to alter their company infrastructures to include this new pricing model.

But we think the feed-in tariff's are going to be big and once they grab the UK publics imagination, then expect prices of solar panels to rise as demand quickly grows. I've even read reports questioning if there are enough installation companies in the UK to cope with an anticipated surge in installation enquiries. Who knows? (Don't forget you can get a range of quotes from recommended local companies via SolarPanelQuoter.co.uk - a completely free service to homeowners and businesses in the UK.)

We've covered feed-in tariff's here before but it's worth re-iterating that feed-in tariff's are based on a fixed period of years - a guarantee if you like - that for whatever the period is set at, the owner can expect a certain rate for the electricity they put into the national system. So the earlier or nearer to the start date you can get with your own completed installation and participation, the more you'll save / earn from the scheme.

This makes solar energy more viable as the pay back period on your installation is reduced. Add to that government grants and local authority incentives on installation costs and pay back periods are reduced even further. Not to mention the added value to your properties price should you decide to sell and move one day.

Well, that's it. Thank you for your readership and company during 2009 - we hope we've been able to enlighten you, inform you, amuse you, and give you something to think about or discuss with others. Our thanks to all those sources we've quoted in our posts and to the photographers who've really allowed us to brighten up our posts with a topical or more cryptic image.

We'll be back with more posts - December - sorry 2009 - is not over 'till Jools Holland shouts "Hootenanny!" on New Year's Eve.

Whatever 2010 holds in store for us, we wish you a Happy Holiday and a peaceful New Year.

Everyone at Solar Panel Quoter.

photo credit: dan queiroz