One of the big problems in taking action to change things is knowing where you are to start with. Lack of public information allows Governments to announce big funding increases, get the brownie points then only later is it revealed that the money was actually allocated some time back under a different scheme but with equal aclaim! Similar is happening with the Governments Green policies and the anouncement this week of a massive increase in wind power projects!

But all of these projects are part of Phase II of the Government’s existing renewables scheme which was anounced last year and initially mooted back in 2004. This years anouncement adds nothing apart from an intention to support domestic generators, but again that’s nothing new, there has always been support of sorts, its just usually ill thought out and implemented! LCBP (Low Carbon Buildings Programme) was a disaster and in my opinion when looking at the way the preferred installers were selected – long established and reputable companies were sidelined, big companies with no experience in renewables were selected – verging on the corrupt!

What to do? Well, I’m developing an online a map of all major renewable energy schemes in the UK. There are loads, most in planning and about half on the map! See www.renewables-map.co.uk what with this most recent Govt smoke and mirrors I will be adding an additional field showing date project was 1st proposed! My own website is www.solarkent.co.uk

References:

• The Crown Estate: Round 1 and 2 Wind Farm Sites: (Initially proposed in 2004)
• The Crown Estate Offshore Wind Farm Map
• Low Carbon Buildings Programme – Wikipedia
• LCBP – problems with initial tender process leading to ongoing implementation problems

Living in Southern California we get plenty of sunshine (though admittedly it is currently raining). It’s therefore usually an ideal spot for home solar panels, however speaking with various people about it there are some common misconceptions, some conflicting, that people have.

1. It takes 30 years to get your money back. Of course it depends where you live, what type of system you have and how much energy you use. Here in California, 6-8 years is more the norm. Plus, don’t think of it as getting your money back, think of it as an upfront cost that then provides you something for free.

2. If there’s a main power cut in your street, you will still have electricity. No, this isn’t normally correct, almost all systems are “grid-tie” systems. This means you receive power from the national grid as normal, and your solar panels send any electricity generated to this grid, essentially using the grid as a battery. If there’s a power cut then you will not be able to receive any power from the grid or your solar installation.

3. The electricity company will pay you for any extra energy you produce. This isn’t usually true. Your solar installation will, at times, be generating more electricity than you are using so your electricity meter will start going backwards. Over a 12 month period, if you have generated more electricity than you have used, you will NOT get any money for this, therefore it is very important to size the system you have to the amount of electricity that you use. Else you will be paying to build a bigger system than you can benefit from.

4. The government will give you massive rebates. Once again this depends on where you live and what current rebate program is in effect. It’s not uncommon to get 50% or more back in rebates and tax credits, however you should investigate this and apply before you order anything. It’s usually calculated on a per watt basis.

5. My condo owner or Home Owners Association won’t allow it. In California it’s against the law to restrict the installation of solar panels. They can make demands on how it looks, position etc, but nothing that will add more than 15% to the cost. It’s likely to be similar wherever you live – the government want you to pay to create your own energy!

6. It’s difficult to install, and looks ugly. No, it’s actually relatively quick and simple (less than a week depending on the size), but there are hundreds of companies that are licensed and will do it for you. As to whether it looks ugly, well, that’s in the eye of the beholder!