[ Spotlight: Photovoltaics ] A
re you busy installing solar photovoltaics (PVs)? If you’re not, then you are missing out on a burgeoning market, because it appears that last year’s introduction of the Feed-in Tariff scheme
(FITs) is having the desired effect on the take-up of the technology. The latest statistics from the Department of Energy and
Climate Change (DECC) reveal that more than 21,000 applications have been registered under the FITs scheme since its arrival in April 2010. Nearly 20,000 of those are for solar PV schemes. We all know the driving force for the initiative’s introduction. The government is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 (from base 1990 levels) and a whopping 80 per cent by 2050. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive includes a target to make all homes zero carbon by 2016 and all buildings by 2019. There will be a progressive tightening of legislation, such as the Building Regulations, to improve energy efficiency but there will be accompanying carrots, such as the FITs incentive, to make renewable energy more widespread. The UK target is to source 15 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The figure currently stands at around seven per cent, and the UK is underperforming in comparison with the likes of Germany when it comes to the adoption of renewable technology. The FITs scheme will not be the only driver in this area. The government is expected to announce details
of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) soon. This will partner the FITs programme by offering incentives for the installation of solar thermal collectors, heat pumps and biomass boilers. It is hoped that this will drive a tenfold increase in renewable heat in the next decade.
Booming industry While the take-up of solar PV since April 2010 has certainly been impressive, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Research from AMA forecasts that the UK will progress
Benefits to consumers made easy
n Under the FITs scheme, an average three-bedroom home will earn around £900 a year by generating its own solar electricity – and that’s on top of the likely reduction of £140 from the household electricity bill. The income is guaranteed for 25 years and index-linked.
n If a domestic customer were to spend £10,000 on a system today, they would receive roughly nine per cent of their investment back per annum – better than any savings account.
n Solar roof systems fall under permitted development rights so do not need planning permission, although in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or in a listed building, building owners should contact their local council.
n The householder will benefit from a largely maintenance-free system. Usually any dust or dirt washes off the panels when it rains, so long as the panels are installed on a roof of at least 15 degrees. In extreme cases, dust may cause a power reduction of about 10 per cent.
March 2011 ECA Today 21
SHUTTERSTOCK
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