SUSTAINABILITY PART 2
household bills could rise by as much as £300 a year over the next eight years if we continue to rely on traditional fuels, alternative energy, such as solar, is now more important than ever.” Richard Lloyd, executive director at
Which?, said, “It’s right that the Government properly controls spending on Feed-in Tariffs as everyone pays for this scheme through their energy bills. But the Government should honour the existing rate for everyone who has already signed contracts or paid deposits for solar panels. By setting a deadline that is just over a month away*, the Government risks creating a surge in demand for FIT that cannot be met in the timeframe, leaving many customers disappointed.”**
Other rOutes tO pOwer For those who can’t afford the upfront cost of panel purchase and installation, ‘investors’ have entered the market. These funded companies will pay the upfront costs and in return keep the FiT payment; users generally get free electricity, or pay a lower rate for the electricity used – around 6p per kWh (the ‘Big Six’ charge 12-13p
Many homeowners haven’t waited for the Green Deal to get underway before acting. In High Barnet, north London, the rooftops are beginning to glint in the sunlight with solar PV panels. One street, Byng Road, has no less than six residents who have already installed solar PV. One Byng Road resident,
who installed a 2.16kWp system notched up 1,000 Kilowatt hours in the six months following instalment. He estimates that he should get about 1,800 Kwh over a 12-month period. “We will be pleased with
that,” he said, “as it may give us a return from the FIT of about £800 annually. In addition, we are probably using about 20 per cent less electricity – a saving of perhaps another £60 per annum. For an outlay of £11,600 this represents a return of comfortably over seven per cent.
36 DECEMBER 2011 PROPERTYdrum “The salesman’s
calculations for 2Kw installation were for an annual output of 1675Kwh. To achieve an array of 2 X 6 panels (which was neater) I actually purchased 12 panels with a combined output of (12X180W) 2.16Kw. So I calculate my expected annual
output to be 1675 X (2.16/2) = 1809Kwh. So, we seem to be on target to meet the annual output of KWh estimated.” Tanya Adams, a
spokesperson for the High Barnet Green Home Zone, a not-for-profit social enterprise, said, “When we founded the initiative
kWh and rising) – and a ‘roof rental’ in some cases of around £3 per m2 installed annually.” Anwar Harland-Khan, CEO of Sustain
Worldwide (
www.sustainworldwide.com) said, “We are working with one of our members, WTG Commercial, to introduce a free installation solution to commercial partners, landlords and asset managers. It’s attractive because there is no capital cost to the landlord, and he receives a fixed price electricity tariff half the going rate for 25 years.” Solar electricity is not the only renewable
energy that commands a FiT payout. Wind turbines (building mounted or free standing), hydroelectricity, anaerobic digesters and micro combined heat and power (CHP) also do. In reality, unless you live in the countryside on a small holding, none of these technologies will be feasible or have a viable Return On Investment for the average homeowner. However, generating heat (rather than
electricity) from solar thermal panels has great domestic potential – despite it requiring direct sunlight (solar PV works on daylight although there will be greater
case study – solar energy in HigH barnet Rooftop solar panels
are becoming the ‘must have’ in Byng Road, North London.
18 months ago, you could count the number of solar PV installations in the borough on one hand. Now, there are a few dozen. We are advising several homeowners every month how they can generate electricity from solar, as well as helping them to reduce their energy consumption to save on their energy bills. “As part of our broader
commercial service in the borough of Barnet, we are assisting landlords and estate agents – and welcome enquiries – with Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and also providing energy audits for commercial landlords, schools, and community groups. Only in March 2010, when we launched the enterprise, energy and environmental issues were see as a bit ‘left field. Today, they are very much central to everyone’s thinking be that at home or in the place of work.”
output on sunnier days). Solar thermal is therefore ideal for heating water for use in baths, showers, underfloor heating and for space heating rather than relying on the natural gas powered mains as do the vast majority of us in the UK. The Government has introduced the
Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which comes into play in Autumn 2012 as part of the Green Deal. Prior to the RHI’s launch, the Government has introduced the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme. The RHPP runs from 1 August 2011 to
31 March 2012. It pays a £300 voucher to those who install Solar Thermal Hot Water; £850 for an Air Source Heat Pump; £1250 Ground Source or Water Source Heat Pump; and £950 to those who install a bio-mass (wood or pellets). The RHPP is open to anyone who lives in England, Scotland or Wales, no matter how they currently heat their home and how much fuel they already use. However, if they currently rely on oil, liquid gas, solid fuel or electricity for heating they could also apply for air, ground – or water – source heat pumps and biomass boilers.
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