Solar photovoltaic cells
Solar Energy Comes of Age By Paul Scott
The experience of buying property for the first time can often be stressful, difficult, and challenging. Having soldiered on through countless mortgage application forms and the discovery of such words as, gazumped, stamp duty, and non-refundable, to eventually reach the date for exchange of contract and completion is a drawn-out, tedious affair. Finally the day arrives and the keys to the door of your first property are handed over. Months of hair-pulling aggravation has come to end and it is now time to relax, run a hot bath, put your feet up by the fire, and switch on the far too large plasma screen which perches precariously on top of its temporary home of unpacked boxes of china. The first time buyer has just made their first, costly mistake. With energy bills soaring an increasing number of first-time buyers are seeking alternative forms of energy. There are of course a great deal of simple things that can be done to reduce energy consumption in the home, preventing an unwelcome and staggeringly high bill from dropping on to the newlybought doormat. “Energy saving light bulbs for your home last around 12 times longer than normal bulbs and use 75 per cent less electricity, saving you around £65 over the lifespan of the bulb”, says a spokeswoman for the Energy Saving Advice Board.
Other measures include ensuring that the property has sufficient roof insulation and turning off all electrical appliances as opposed to leaving them on stand-by. However, for those first-time buyers looking to do a bit more, not only for their pocket, but also the environment, there is now a huge choice of renewable energy systems. Known as microgeneration systems, the technology helps towards households becoming self-sufficient in terms of energy production. Grace Bennett is policy and communications manager of the Micropower Council. “Household scale renewable and low carbon energy offers the opportunity to save money on household bills whilst doing your bit for the environment and climate change mitigation,” she says. “There is also evidence to show that householders who install microgeneration technology in their homes become more energy conscious and therefore reduce their overall energy usage.”
Resources are running out
Solar energy is the most common form of microgeneration technology in use in the domestic market in the United Kingdom. Andy Groves is energy advisor at Solar Fusion, one of the UK’s leading solar energy providers. “Natural resources are running out and solar energy is a free and plentiful,” he says. There are currently two types of solar panel system that are in mainstream use across the United Kingdom. The elaborately titled, photovoltaic (PV) system is designed to generate electricity, which can help to produce up to 50 per cent of the household’s electricity requirements. The second system, a thermal hot water system, produces up to 70 per cent of the domestic hot water requirements. The technology of each system differs slightly. PV systems use monocrystalline flat plate panels, which represent most people’s idea of what a solar panel would look like. The added bonus of the system that generates electricity is that any excess can be sold directly back into the National Grid. This is of particular use when the household is empty and the consumption of energy is at a minimum.
An alternative form of PV system has the capacity to store the electricity on the property in large batteries that would normally occupy the loft area. A solar thermal hot water system comprises of a series of tubes that are mounted on a panel, in which a chemical called Glycol is exposed to extreme heat by the reflection of the sun’s rays. That heat is then transferred, and exchanged via a twin-coil situated in the bottom of the hot water tank, heating the water. Solar energy is often described as being an expensive and long term investment, concerns that may dissuade first-time homeowners.
Lower energy bills
Andy Groves is keen to dispel these fears. “The stumbling block for first-time buyers is how to raise the money to purchase the system at a time when money is tight because of buying your first property. It would be prudent to attempt to try and add the purchase price of the solar panels onto your mortgage. This allows you to benefit from free energy and lower energy bills for the next 20 to 30 years,” he says. “It also adds value to the property making it easier to sell the property and re-coup your money at a future date.” The Government has been accused of not doing enough to make microgeneration systems more affordable. However, things are beginning to change.
A trial involving 500 homes across England, in which microgeneration technology is being installed with no upfront cost, is underway and will run until April 2011. The homeowners of the properties involved make repayments spread over long periods, which should equate to lower payments than their current energy bills. Something that Grace Bennett feels can benefit the first-time buyer. “The Micropower Council is hopeful that this will mark a turning point for the sector, making microgeneration an attractive option for householders financially speaking,” she says. Andy Groves has no doubt as to where the solar energy industry is heading. “Solar energy is the future,” he says. First-time buyers will be hoping that with the Government’s assistance solar energy can become the present. Energy and Climate Secretary Ed Milliband believes that every household can help reduce the effects of climate change. “One quarter of the UK’s total emissions come from homes. Increasing the energy efficiency of homes not only helps reduce emissions, but will also help reduce fuel bills,” he says in a statement released by the Energy Saving Trust. The Government is also re-examining the current process for selling electricity back to the National Grid with the aim of offering improved feed-in tariffs.