Energy Saving tips with Green Week
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This week, the Universtity of Central Lancashire are holding Green Week from Monday 6th February to Friday 10th February. The event is held annually and is designed to educate staff, students and members of the public on green issues and sustainable living.
Planet Solar and Energi Installations have worked with UCLAN for many years on their Solar PV projects and are pleased to be part of their renewable energy future – click here to see one of our case studies. This week long event is a credit to UCLAN who continue to promote green living and help the local community to both work and live sustainably.
More and more businesses and homes are using Solar PV as a way of generating their own electricity. As well as the savings which can be made on electricity bills, Solar PV panels also help protect against future rising electricity costs. As if this wasn’t enough, there is also a feed-in-tariff scheme which means you get paid for what your system generates. Domestic customers can arrange a free, no obligation site survey whilst commercial businesses can visit our 
Make A Fantastic Return On Solar Panel Systems
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Solar panels have taken the UK by storm in the past couple of years. It is estimated that since the feed-in-tariff was introduced by the government in 2010 around 80,000 households have opted to invest in this form of renewable energy. Although panels may on first glance seem somewhat pricey, the returns to be made from the electricity they produce over their 25 lifespan are very significant.
It is true that the more direct sunlight solar panel systems receive, the more electricity they produce, but it needs to be made clear that it is in fact the intensity of the light that helps power them. This means that they will convert natural sunlight into electricity even on a cloudy day.
During certain times of the year i.e. summer, your solar panels may in fact produce more electricity than you need. In this instance, you can sell that surplus energy back to the National Grid at a fixed rate.
After recent wrangling the current feed-in-tariff rate stands at 21p per unit (or kWh) of electricity produced, but even at this rate your solar panels can still easily pay for themselves way before they reach …
Ten reasons to buy Solar PV from Planet Solar today!
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There has been a lot of media coverage and speculation regarding Solar Photovoltaic systems recently, especially in terms of domestic systems up to 4kWp. At Planet Solar we know the current activity with the government is important, however we should not lose sight of the great benefits you get from installing a Solar PV system on your home – and with more changes to the feed-in-tariff scheme highly likely within the next 12 months, now is the perfect time to purchase your system:
Reason No.1 – You get paid for every kilowatt hour you generate
Putting aside the whole feed-in-tariff fiasco, whichever way you look at it, you are still getting money for generating your own electricity. In addition to this, you also get an export payment for every kilowatt hour you send back to the grid.
Reason No.2 – Install before 3rd March and you are guaranteed 21p for 25 years
If you have your system installed and commissioned prior to 3rd March 2012 you are guaranteed a generation payment of 21p for every kilowatt hour your system generates (applies to systems up to 4kWp). If the court appeal fails or is rejected and the …
Solar PV feed-in-tariff fiasco – update
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On Wednesday 25th January it was reported that the Government had lost their right to appeal the earlier judgement that a reduction in solar pv feed-in-tariffs was unlawful. The government were refused the right to appeal which led Solar industry professionals and consumers to believe that the higher rate of 43.3p would apply for installations up to 4kWp made before 3rd March 2012. However recent activity has led to yet more uncertainty within the sector.
Background:
Solar PV feed-in-tariffs were introduced in April 2010 as an incentive for individuals and businesses to generate their own electricity. There are three levels to the feed-in-tariff scheme – Generation tariff, export tariff and electricity savings. The tariff in question here is the generation tariff.
With the generation tariff, a payment is made for every kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity your solar PV system generates. It does not matter whether you use this or not, it is based purely on what your panels produce. In April 2010 this was set at 43.3p for every kWh produced for systems up to 4kWp. Reductions in the feed-in-tariff were always expected, with a small drop expected from 1st April 2012.
Government Changes
On …
What does the court hearing mean for Planet Solar customers?
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This morning the high court rejected the appeal made by the government regarding the drop in solar PV feed-in-tariffs for systems up to 4kWp to 21p from the earlier cut-off date of 12th December 2011. The media speculation has been rife and existing and potential Planet Solar customers are no doubt wondering what to do next – please see below some clarity and what the outcome means at this stage:
In basic terms, this outcome means that any customers who had a Solar PV system installed up to 4kWp from 12th December 2011 onwards should now receive the higher tariff of 43.3p for every kilowatt hour their system produces, for 25 years. What it also means, is that customers who have a system installed and commissoned before 3rd March 2012 will also receive the 43.3p rate.
The government tried to appeal for a second time however this was rejected by the appeal court. Energy & Climate Change Secretary, Chris Hulme, has made an official statement to the solar industry, which states that the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) are seeking permission to appeal directly to the Supreme Court. This leaves …
DECC lose feed-in-tariff appeal for Solar PV
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The court of appeal has left us in limbo for weeks now, however clarity was given to the Solar PV industry today. This morning, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) lost their appeal against the High Court decision on Solar PV feed-in-tariffs. This means the feed-in tariff will now go back to 43.3p for <4kW systems installed until March 3, 2012.
This means that potentially all installs since December 12th and all systems installed and commissioned before 3rd March 2012 will now receive the higher rate of 43.3p – guaranteed for 25 years!
Customers who register on or after March 3 will qualify for the current higher rate until April 1, when the rates will drop to the lower rates, as set out in the October 31 announcement.
Commenting on the decision, Daniel Green, CEO of HomeSun, said: “Four judges, including three in the Court of Appeal, have now called the Government’s actions illegal. That’s a four-nil victory and a decisive ruling that Government may not make retrospective changes to the FiT because, as Lord Justice Moses concludes, to do so ‘would be to take away an existing entitlement without statutory authority.’”
“Both this appeal and the …
Plan For The Future With Solar Panels
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For many homeowners in the UK one of the biggest outgoings from the monthly budget, besides rent and mortgage payments, is the cost of the electricity.
Although energy companies such as EDF Energy and British Gas have announced price cuts recently, no-one is under the illusion that they will stay that way for very long, therefore it makes sense to plan ahead and invest in something that will help to reduce your bills in the future.
Solar panels are a great source of cleaner, renewable energy for homes and businesses within the UK. They are so effective at harvesting free energy from the sun that they will often produce more electricity than you will actually need to power your home. So not only can you save yourself some money on your electricity bills, you can also earn a little extra by selling any surplus energy created by your solar photovoltaic system back to your energy supplier.
Another benefit of solar panels, compared with other sources of renewable energy, is that they can work with many different types of property; most homes with a sufficient roof space are eligible. If you have little roof space, you needn’t worry …
New Home? Try New Technology From Planet Solar
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Moving home is one of the most stressful, yet exciting experiences you will ever go through. In the current climate where the housing market remains stagnant, securing a new property can be a very expensive business which is why it makes sense to try and save as much money as you can from the moment you move in.
Despite news that many of the UK’s major energy suppliers will be cutting electricity bills by 5-6%, it doesn’t make up for the fact that electricity bills went up an average of 15% during 2011.
The price war that has broken out amongst providers such as British Gas, Eon, Scottish power etc. is only expected to be a temporary measure which is why it makes sense to stay one-step ahead when normality is resumed. Planet Solar can help you take advantage of cheaper electricity over the next 25 years with a set of solar panels.
Our solar power systems will enable you to rely upon the electricity your energy supplier provides far less as they convert the free energy offered by the sun into electricity and divert it directly into your home. Even on the most overcast of …
Court decision for Solar PV still not complete
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There is no denying it has been a turbulent few months for the solar PV industry since the sudden proposed cuts to feed-in-tariffs was announced on the 31st October 2011. These proposals not only reduced the feed-in-tariff rates by approximately 50% for systems up to 50kWP, they also proposed an earlier cut-off date for the lower tariff to apply. This proposed change of date was to bring it forward from 31st March 2012 to 12th December 2011.
The suddenness of the lower tariff rate resulted in a rush of installations as customers wanted their systems installed and commissioned before the 12th December deadline, and installers all over the UK worked around the clock to ensure they met the increasing demands of their customers. It is reported that an estimated 102,000 Solar PV systems were installed in the UK between the 31st Oct 2011 and the new proposed deadline of 12th Dec 2011. Considering the figure for the previous 18 months was reported at 126,000 installs, it is clear to see what sort of impact this had on the industry.
Friends of the Earth and two solar pv companies took the government to court and the …
A great day for Solar PV
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One of the great things about Solar PV panels are that they do not need glorious sunny days to work, they simply need energy from the sun during daylight hours. Despite the January mornings being cold, the bright skies make for great weather for Solar PV.
Solar panels from Planet Solar work by absorbing the sun’s energy which produces DC power. This is then fed through an inverter which converts it into AC power which can be used to power your home. When your solar panels are not producing you simply feed off the grid as you would normally.
Solar panels can help to reduce electricity costs, lower carbon emmissions and also generate an income. Despite recent activity and press regarding the lowering of the feed-in-tariffs, the return on investment can still be up to 12% even on a tariff of 21p per kWh generated, depending on your system, and it is guaranteed for 25 years. In addition to this, there is also an export payment made for electricity you send back to the grid.
For further information on how Solar PV with Planet Solar can benefit you, contact us for more infomration and to arrange a consultation.