A relatively simple way to introduce renewable energy into new and existing homes…

By now we’ve all heard of solar power, whether it’s powering your little garden lights or your home the concept is still pretty much the same.

Solar Panels (or Photovoltaics/PV) take the sun’s energy (renewable energy) and then convert it into electricity that we can use to heat or light our homes. Traditionally solar panels are installed on the roof however, they have been known to also be installed in gardens, green roofs and smaller outbuildings.

Remember the system is not only made up of the Solar Panels themselves. An Inverter is needed to convert the solar energy (DC) into energy we can use in our homes (AC), as well as having a battery where ‘excess’ energy can be stored for use at a later time.

There’s some great info here at ‘The Switch’ that explains the different types of solar panel in more detail as well as The Energy Saving Trust that explain in detail the realistic requirements needed to install solar panels on your home.

The difference is we’re looking at you making a decent investment into not only your future but the future of the planet too. On average the ‘average domestic solar PV system is 3.5kWp and costs around £4800.’ We don’t need to go into the obvious reasons we should move towards renewable fuels but we do need to acknowledge how more of us could easily implement renewable elements into our homes!

There are 3 main things you can do once you’ve made the initial investment and got those panels installed..

1. Generate Energy

   Obviously… The main reason people do this is purely for their own home, so they can light and heat their home and not pay an energy provider to do so!

2. Store Energy

   With a little extra space a decent battery can also store the solar energy you have collected to be used at another time.

3. Trade Energy and make some £££

   It is never a bad thing to have accumulated to much solar energy! In this case there is opportunities to sell your extra energy back to the grid (therefore increasing the renewable energy others are using too!)

See if you head over to the Money Saving Expert you’ll see there’s a full article on general information about free solar panels and are solar panels worth it. In my opinion, the idea is for us to focus on becoming more energy efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels for the future rather than what solely effects us right now… But overall in the UK there are a few schemes that are available that can offer grants/funding if you were to install solar panels on your home. These were provided by the government initially however now more specific schemes are being developed by companies to entice investment.

Here are a few useful links to get you started on your journey:

• Green Match

• Solar Battery Scheme

• Green Business Watch

• The Green Deal

• UK Feed-Inn Tariff (FIT) - NOTE this government scheme stopped accepting applicants in 2019. But keep an eye out for similar ones that are available or being released in the future such as Social Energy and the Smart Export Guarantee!

Now here I’m talking about the most realistic options for mass market but of course I want to highlight how far solar panel design itself has come over the past few years!

Most of the time we’re referring to rectangular solar panels stuck to the south facing roof… Well if you’ve got (a lot) more money to spend then companies like Tesla have developed Solar Tiles. Made to resemble slate roof tiles they cover the entire span of the roof and appear pretty seamless.

Just a few things that could help anyone slightly interested in solar power get the ball rolling for making their homes more sustainable for the future! Lots to think about here but in future posts I’ll continue to look into other elements that could improve your home for the long term.

Let me know in the comments if you’re looking into renewable energy options for your home!