The council see solar photovoltaic as being the perfect antidote to fuel poverty and high energy bills, benefitting themselves and their tenants in the long-term. This is unequivocal proof that demand for solar panels shows no sign of slowing, despite Prime Minister David Cameron’s attempts to work “harder and faster” to bring down the cost of energy bills.

A stage has been reached where cheap electricity tariffs have virtually disappeared and price rises amongst the big six electricity suppliers are announced on an almost weekly basis. An alternative source of energy needs to be found and for many this makes solar electricity a very attractive proposition.

But why such a clamour for solar panels? Well a set of panels can provide a property with the vast majority of electricity it needs throughout the day. They are powered by the natural light of the sun, which unlike conventional energy isn’t and will never be in short supply.

Even on a cloudy day a solar panel can function successfully and reduce the need to over rely on the traditional heating system. The other advantage of this is that it will slash the existing cost of your energy bills, lessening the financial burden of electricity on homeowners.

With a minimum expected lifespan of 20 years, the savings to be made on panelling are extremely significant and will more than justify the initial installation cost. So it isn’t hard to see why councils and property owners up and down the land are realising the potential of solar energy, isn’t it time you did the same?

They believe that it will help drive the manufacture of solar panels and other green energy creators in the region. Council deputy leader Coun Paul Tilsely told the Birmingham Mail that solar electricity will result in huge monetary rewards:

“Birmingham spends £1.7 billion a year on energy. We can save 25%, that is £425 million which can be reinvested in the economy.”

There has reportedly already been significant interest from many authorities in the region and if the scheme proves to be a success it is safe to assume that many other regional councils will look to follow Birmingham’s lead as far as solar photovoltaic is concerned.

However, Birmingham City Council have almost certainly only taken such steps after seeing an uptake in the amount of local residents investing their money in solar panels and seeing how effective they are at powering homes with energy. The savings to be made on energy through the use of solar power is immense and over time they can help residents recoup huge amounts of money.

Conventional energy is now is very short supply and the time has come when we all need to find alternative solutions. As displayed by Birmingham City Council, solar power is top of that list.

Mr & Dr Willett from Lancaster recently became the proud owners of a Nissan Leaf Electric Car thanks to our recent prize draw. At the beginning of this year, Planet Solar ran a promotion in which the first 200 customers who purchased and installed Solar PV Panels in their homes in 2011 were entered into a draw, with the winners being drawn in August.

The lucky couple were told the news a few weeks ago and Charles could not believe his luck. “At first I thought Planet Solar were ringing me to tell me I was to receive £250 for recommending a friend” exclaimed Mr Willett, “When they told me I had won a car I could not believe it, we were absolutely astounded but very pleased, I have not won anything since I was about ten years old”.

Charles and Val collected the car from the Fred Coupe Nissan Garage in Walton-le-dale, where the keys were handed over by Kim Bretherton, Operations Director at Planet Solar. They were given a full handover by Nissan and details of how to drive their new emission-free Electric Car before taking it back to their home in Lancaster. Mr Willett was a little apprehensive driving it home, however once behind the driver’s seat he soon got comfortable, claiming the car was “an absolute dream to drive”.

Planet Solar are one of the leading installers of Solar PV systems in the UK and the decision to collaborate with Fred Coupe Nissan and their Electric Leaf Car came naturally, as the policies on energy efficiencies went hand in hand and complemented each other. The free electricity generated from Solar PV panels can be used to power the Nissan Leaf car, resulting in exceptionally low running costs. The car also has a solar panel on the rear spoiler which is used to top up the battery power.

Charles and Val had Solar PV Panels installed by Planet Solar in early June 2011 and are benefiting from free electricity and cheaper electricity bills. They have been enjoying their new car and have been surprised at how quickly they have become used to it. “If somebody had told me a year ago I would be driving an electric car I would never have believed them”, said Val, “but it is a great car and the fact that is cheap to run and good for the environment is an added bonus”.

For further information on how Solar PV can benefit you and your home, visit our contact us page or call us on Freephone 0800 533 5130.

In terms of Solar PV installations, Europe is still the leading continent with a current installation capacity of approximately 29 GW. The report also shows that over 70% of the world’s Solar PV installations are within the European Union, making it at the forefront of the Solar PV industry.

As well as the obvious savings on electricity costs, many countries operate some form of feed-in-tariff which offers an added incentive to both households and businesses to generate their own electricity using Solar PV.  The UK feed-in-tariff currently offers a great return on investment, which is another reason as to why the UK market for Solar PV is also growing.

For full details on the PV industry and how Planet Solar can help with all your Solar PV needs, contact us today online or call us on Freephone 0800 533 5130 for further information.

It is always nice to hear comments via letter or email and we are lucky to receive a vast amount of statements from satisfied customers. Below is a selection of comments from recent Planet Solar installations, which we are pleased to be able to share.

If you are an existing Planet Solar customer who has had an installation completed by us, we would love to hear from you. You can also recommend us on YouGen.

“The communication right from the start has been excellent and the people who installed the panels were polite, tidy and very quick”

Mrs Lutener, Wiltshire

“I can’t remember ever dealing with such an efficient, helpful and accommodating company”

Mr Dobson, Liverpool

“I cannot commend all of the workforce more highly for the efficient and polite way in which my installation was completed. Clearly everyone knew what had to be done and they all just got on with the job”

Mr & Mrs Helm, Preston

A huge thanks yet again to all our customers who take the time to let us know how their installations went. We are still continually looking to improve our service, which is what makes these comments so worthwhile.

With this, solar panels are fast becoming a popular option for many people looking for a way to produce their own electricity.

The solar electricity produced through a solar photovoltaic system is renewable, meaning that your solar panels will continually produce energy in your home from the time the sun rises to when it sets at the end of the day. It doesn’t need to be a brilliantly sunny day for your solar panels to work either as even on the cloudiest of days there is enough natural sunlight for them to produce electricity.

By installing solar panels to your home your electricity bills can be dramatically reduced leaving you with more money to spend on the things you like.

Another benefit of solar panels is that they work with any type of property and they are bespoke to your home. If you have little roof space, you needn’t worry as solar panels can still be installed, producing enough electricity to make a noticeable difference to your electricity bills. Likewise if you have a larger home you can take advantage of installing many panels, making a great deal of electricity in the process.

Solar panels are a long term investment, so to make the most out of them reliability is the key. Therefore it is always wise to reduce your risk by looking at well-known and respected solar panel companies for supplying and installing your solar panels.

With a life expectancy of over 20 years, solar panels are well worth the initial investment. No longer will you dread the arrival of those electricity bills!

Our expert Energy Consultants will be on hand to offer advice to visitors on Solar PV design and installation and how we can help you get the most out of your Solar Panel installations. You can even book a free site survey with one of the team on the day.

With a fantasitc selection of garden and floral displays, as well as celebrity chefs and fun and games, the Southport Flower Show is one event not to be missed. Come and find us on stand E25 and if you haven’t got your tickets yet then visit the Southport Flower Show site now to buy them.

For those who cannot make the show this year, watch this space for all our highlights. For further information on how Planet Solar can help you, please contact us and one of our friendly team will be happy to help.

Planet Solar believes that renewable energy in the form of solar panels is the way forward as it is in no way harmful to the environment. Renewable energy can be used over and over without any damage caused as its main source is the natural light of the sun.

By utilising solar PV, you will be able to cut your existing carbon footprint and provide your property with the majority of electricity it needs in order to function successfully throughout the day. There will however be occasions when you need to revert to your conventional form of electricity; but this will be on a far reduced scale, which will also help bring down the cost of your electricity bills.

Solar panels or photovoltaic systems as some prefer to call them, will in no way pollute the planet and can be utilised for years to come as they have an expected lifespan of at least 20 years.

The cost of a set of panels may seem daunting, but when you consider the savings to be made over the 20+ years expected lifespan of them, it more than makes good financial sense. You can also be content with the fact that you are doing your bit to make the world a cleaner place to live.

Download Planet Solar’s brochure to get a better understanding of renewable energy and what it has to offer us all.

Many homeowners throughout the UK have to be more conscious of the amount of electricity they use as more and more electricity companies raise their prices.

For a lot of households this has become a genuine concern as many try to find suitable ways of preventing their electricity bills from spiralling out of control. Solar panels from Planet Solar are an effective way of harvesting FREE energy from the sun and using it to power your home with electricity for large periods of the day.

The installation of panelling to your property can help to cut down your electricity bills considerably, especially during the summer months.

Planet Solar has developed an excellent reputation in recent years for being a leading solar panel installer in Cheshire. From the initial enquiry to the completion of the project you will have highly trained professionals installing your solar panels with the minimum of fuss so that you can start benefitting from your solar panels as soon as possible.

Many people who enquire about purchasing solar panels in Cheshire are concerned that they won’t work during the winter months due to a lack of sunny weather, however this simply isn’t true. Solar panels harvest energy from daylight so even on the gloomiest of days your solar panels will work effectively.

Solar panels also last a very long time, on average over 25 years, so there is no need to worry about high maintenance costs as you will be benefiting from them for years to come.

For more information on solar panels, visit the Planet Solar website where you can arrange a FREE site survey.

Under the current scheme there are two levels of payment. For every Solar PV system Planet Solar install in your home (up to 4kWp) you will receive 43.3 pence for every kilowatt hour your Solar PV panels produce. In addition to this, you will also receive 3 pence per kilowatt hour that is sent back to the grid. Unless your home is fitted with a Smart Meter, the present assumption is that 50% of all your electricity produced will be exported back to the grid, and this is the figure your payment is currently based on.

In addition to these payments, there are also the savings you will make from your standard electricity bill, as the amount of electricity you have to buy from your energy company will be reduced.

For more information on the feed-in-tariff and how it can benefit you, please visit our financial benefits page. Or if you would like to arrange a free site survey you can fill in the form on our contact us page or call us on free phone 0800 530 5130.