Solar PV and Green Deal Finance
UPDATE: As of 30 March 2016, the government has stopped funding and the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund is closed to new applications. You can read about it here. I sat down with Bernard Hughes last week, the Communications Director from the…
Will solar thermal provide all my hot water?
Solar water heating, or a solar thermal system, works by using the free heat energy from the sun to warm up water. This water is then used to heat up a separate body of water in the hot water cylinder…
Solar PVT – Hybrid Solar Thermal / PV panels
Want to produce both hot water and electricity from the sun? You might want to consider installing Solar Photovoltaic-Thermal, or PV-T for short. PV-T is a hybrid solar panel combining the functionality of solar thermal collectors and solar PV in…
Should I get micro inverters for my solar PV system?
What are Solar PV Inverters? Solar PV panels produce electricity from sunlight, and with over 500,000 systems now installed on people’s roofs in the UK, they have never been more popular. The average solar PV system in the UK is…
Solar planning requirements being relaxed for larger systems
Over the last few years we have seen the restrictions on solar PV systems relaxed considerably, and it is now possible to install a solar PV system of up to 50kW on a rooftop without requiring planning permission, so long…
10 interesting solar panel facts
With the announcement that Solar PV provided a record 7.6% of the UK’s energy demand on Saturday 21st June 2014, we thought we might share with you 10 other interested facts about Solar PV that you might not know. More…
Will my neighbours complain about my solar PV or Wind Turbines?
As long as solar PV and wind power have been around, there have been neighbours who complain about them. Whether it spoils their views or makes too much noise, there is always someone ready to complain. What I want to…
Biomass Fuel and the Sustainable Suppliers List
The Domestic RHI, which was launched on the 9th April, is a government scheme that aims to provide a financial reward for domestic homeowners who install renewable heating measures. We all know that the initial costs of renewable installs, such…
Voltage Optimisers
What are Voltage Optimisers? Typically electricity in the UK is supplied at 242V but most appliances are rated between 217 and 253V. The concept is that if you can reduce the voltage supplied, then there will be reduction in your…
How many solar panels can I fit on my roof?
Solar panels are now an affordable way to reduce your demand on the electric grid by producing your own electricity. That is without even taking into account the Feed-in Tariff, which pays you for every unit of electricity created, regardless…