http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk Latest renewable energy, solar panel, environmental economics and political info - enjoy!http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk'.trim($link).' From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service. http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/solar_panels_2011_review.php Year of the Solar Panel? How has Solar been in 2011? It's impossible to ignore how 2011 has been a very busy year for the solar industry, with panels now visible all over the place, from schools and churches, to households and garden sheds. At the start of the year, the FIT had been running for about 9 months, with the industry having led to some very large solar installations across the UK. Plug Into the Sun carried out then the largest installation in the country. OFGEM figures show that more than 10,000 solar panels were installed in the UK, generating 26MW of solar power. Source: ChinaSpree.com As solar became more popular, the importance of MCS accreditation also increased, with a massive rise in would-be installers taking on this qualification so that the solar panels they install are eligible for the FIT. Renewable technology became adopted in broader markets, for example, Sharp and Comtek invested in Wales, leading to 125 jobs, with 81% growth in the small scale wind turbine market, with the UK the second largest country in the world for this type of small scale generation. There was scandal in the industry in Spring, with the revelation that many councils were insisting upon planning permission for solar panels, despite government legislation getting rid of this requirement. However, there was also a review of FITs. This was due to speculation that the largest installations were taking up all of the money available to cover both large and small scale generation with PV panels. This divided the industry - some thought it was better for the long run, making solar more sustainable, whereas others hated the fact that it cut incentives for the very largest projects of all, which ultimately generate renewable electricity at the lowest cost per unit, saying instead that this is therefore more sustainable as a solution to cutting carbon dioxide emissions. Over the summer, the Green Deal was first mentioned by the government, with many installers getting very excited at to what implications this could have for solar power - would it cover solar panel installation? The details are still not finalised, but we'll see. The summer also saw Ploughcroft, a solar company, getting a successful entry on Dragons' Den, winning support from Deborah Meaden. Indeed, Chris Hopkins, their MD, reported in the two weeks after going on air, they received over 1000 enquiries, aiming for a GBP 10m turnover in the next two years to try to become the UK's largest installer. The Renewable Heat Premium Payment was also launched towards the end of the summer. However, this did have the problem that it just wasn't popular - it offered households up to 450GBP to install solar panels, but we haven't seen to this leading to a significant rise in demand, probably given the costs of thermal solar panels of between 3,000GBP and 5,000GBP to supply and install. The ongoing issue is that whilst they can offer good returns, the installation process is much more complicated than photovoltaic panels, and they are often not economically worthwhile if the house has a combi boiler because an additional storage tank is then needed. However, as our timeline in the previous blog article shows, the FIT looks like it's going to be decreased very dramatically. Stay tuned for updates. Will 2011 be the year that saw both the rise and the fall of the solar panel? From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/fit-solar-panels-changes.php Changes to Solar Panels FIT If you'd like to embed this on your site, feel free. Just please do so with the following code: From Talk Solar Panels From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/make-your-business-green.php Is Your Business Green? An Infographic Checklist If you'd like to embed this on your site, feel free. Just please do so with the following code: From Talk Solar Panels From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/peer_pressure_save_world.php Could Peer Pressure Save the World? Many of our customers call in saying that their neighbour has got solar panels, so they thought they would get a quote too. Just how strong is this effect? If a house gets solar panels, then the probability that another house on the same street will get solar panels is doubled. Indeed, for every 1% rise in solar panel installations in a postcode, the time for the next installation within that postcode falls by 1%. Why does this happen? Peer pressure is a well-studied phenomenon – humans like to be part of a group, and not many of us like to be the person to go out on a limb. It’s fairly random, but take the example of hotels. Much of the running cost of hotels is tied into their laundry bill; they really want people to re-use their towels to cut these costs. However, their guests don’t care. A recent study has been conducted into how to prevent people using towels! Half of the rooms of a hotel had a sign “Help Save The Environment” next to their towels, whereas the other half of the rooms had a sign saying “Join Your Fellow Guests In Helping To Save The Environment”. The latter lead to a 25% increase in towel recycling. Alcohol is a typical example of something which is heavily influenced by peer pressure. Not only does binge drinking most often occur in groups rather than individuals, but a 1980s study went so far as to show that levels of drinking in students were related to what they believed other people’s consumption to be. This lead to a publicity campaign at the Northern Illinois University, delivering the message that students actually had fewer than 5 drinks on average when they went to a party. What was the result? By 1999, incidents of heavy drinking at the same University had fallen by 44%. Similar campaigns can now be found targeting safe sex, wearing seat belts and smoking. There can be some amazing effects of peer pressure too – studies have found that people can withstand pain better if they can see someone in the same situation with calm facial expressions. Weight loss as part of a group commitment is known to be several times more effective. Groups of colleagues in an office are much more likely to give money if someone comes in collecting it that random individuals stopped in the street. Can environmental change be the next great thing through a contagious effect of solar panels? Thanks to The Ottowa Sun, New York times, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, University of Chicago Medical Center, University of Notre Dame, Grist.org, and the Wall Street Journal for facts and figures. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/ferrari_environmentally_friendly.php Environmentally Friendly Ferrari? Supercars. They hardly sum up mankind’s care for the environment, tearing around racetracks at 3mpg, with a much more immediate risk for short-term safety rather than the long term devastation that could be caused with global warming. However, Ferrari actually launched a 5 year plan in 2007 to cut its carbon dioxide emissions across its range of cars by at least 40%. Source: The Telegraph In order to meet this target, Ferrari launched an optional extra for every model of their cars – the High Emotion Low Emission system (aka “HELE”), a title which clearly aims to dispel fears that caring about emissions will mean slowing down its dream machines. HELE involves a computer controlled fan system, with continuous control of fuel pumps and an adaptable shift pattern depending on which driving style is selected. It also includes an electronic air-con compressor with variable capacity, and a brand new stop and start system. In heavy congestion in urban areas, Ferrari claim savings of up to 15% of emissions with HELE in place, dropping from 299g/km to 270g/km on their Ferrari California (pictured). Concerns about the system are quite comical – it may feel like the car has stalled to passengers, or to pedestrians and other road users. However, it switches off quietly and starts within under a quarter of a second. The system is designed intelligently too – if your steering wheel is not straight, then it will not cut off your engine, for example, if you’re at a junction in which case you may want a very quick response to the pedal being pressed. If it sense that you are on a slope or trying to park, then it also won’t cut out. However, in a car costing £200,000 or more, it may be unnerving that you cannot predict what it’ll be like to drive. It’ll be interesting to see if this system is brought into other supercars – it is, in any case, an exciting piece of new technology which brings us one step closer to the majority of people caring about the environment to a significant degree, rather than a friendly minority. We are starting to see cars with solar panels installed, but I wonder if we'll ever see solar power on a Ferrari! From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/solar_panels_game.php Solar Panels Game Use the arrows and space to jump. If F5 doesn't work, just click to refresh the page to start again. If it doesn't work, you may need shockwave here. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/fit_fall_effects.php Knock On Effects of the FIT Falling As an industry, there are massive concerns that sales of solar panels will tumble. We have a network of solar panel installers across the UK, and have already had quite a few companies ringing us this morning saying that they no-longer want to purchase details of people interested in quotes. This is because all of these companies have large warehouses filled with expensive solar panels that they have already paid for, but which they will, if the FIT falls as in this leaked document, not be able to sell for anywhere near the current market cost of a system. This will cause massive losses to companies across the UK in the short run, and may push many of them out of business due to cash flow issues which typically plague small businesses in particular. In the long run, what will happen to the industry? Having spoken to a few companies today, they are confident that massive price reductions from their foreign suppliers will allow them to continue trading. However, it seems inevitable that margins both here and abroad will have to take a very large hit in order for any volume of trading to occur in the solar market. With the proposed changes to the FIT, if the price of solar panels didn’t change, then the payback period would increase from approximately 10 years to 18 years, with the percentage returns on the investment falling. What will this mean to consumers? It’ll depend on the supply side. If solar panel producers cut their costs dramatically, and solar companies are forced to reduce their margins, then the cost of solar panels will fall whilst the earnings will also fall. This means that solar power will actually be made more accessible to lower income households. However, it is unlikely that the panels will decrease by so much as to counteract the drop in earnings – instead, the panels will decrease in price, but the earnings will decrease by more, hence solar panels will become cheaper, and the payback periods will slightly decrease. Therefore, they will be more accessible to poorer households, but a less profitable investment and therefore total solar panel installations will fall, and a lot of people will lose their jobs, with very little notice. As energy prices continue to rise, we're confident that there will remain some demand for solar, but in the short run, there will be mayhem caused by these changes in the industry. If the government would announce these changes with months of notice and much greater certainty, then large changes would have much smaller effects - anything that is an investment needs certainty. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/fit_leaked_document.php FIT To Fall, Leaked Document from EnergySavingTrust The energy saving trust have recently published a document, seemingly by accident on their website containing some shocking details about the future of the Feed in Tariff. In summary, it may be reduced to 21p/kWh for installations put into place from the 8th of December this year onwards. This leaves little time for households and installers alike to get solar panels installed if they wish to take advantage of current payback periods of around 10 years; under new proposals, up to 18 years will be necessary for solar panels to pay themselves off. Whilst it is stated within the document that the proposals are not definite, hopefully it'll be determined over the next week or so. This really highlights the issues in our previous blog post illustrating the vulnerability of solar companies to fluctuations in government policy - the tiny amount of notice given really causes havoc and uncertainty. Please see below a copy of the leaked document from The Energy Saving Trust. It appears you don't have a PDF plugin for this browser. No biggie... From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/renewable_energy_business_problems.php Headaches for Renewable Energy Businesses There has been a massive boom in demand for solar panels in the UK - a 400% increase in household installations from the start of 2010 to the present day. Electricians have taken to sourcing solar panels from the large manufacturers, usually from China or Taiwan, to install this cutting edge technology instead of replacing light fittings. National companies within the UK have also sprung up, creating thousands of jobs for sales people and fitters, with millions of pounds being spent annually on advertising campaigns on television, the internet and in print. Anyone would say this highlights the massive success of the Feed in Tariff and the government schemes introduced to help encourage a take up of renewable energy at the household level, whilst bringing a much needed boost to demand within the UK economy. However, it also highlights a weakness of the industry, that of its total reliance on government policy. Why is the renewable energy industry so dependent on decisions made in Westminster? It could be argued that it's because the goods it provides aren't viable under normal economic conditions - the cost of producing the solar panels simply makes them too expensive for consumers without government subsidy. However, the market doesn't take externalities into account - people tend not to care that much about strangers, hence they don't fully appreciate the benefits of cutting their emissions, which is the economic argument for government intervention to prevent this market failure. It will take time for solar panels to be viable without government help. It is sad that the FIT may be cut dramatically under the rates review in April 2012, not because they are a dinosaur that can't compete with the low costs and low carbon of nuclear energy, but because the increase in their demand, a direct result of government intervention, has lead to the industry growing and permitting economies of scale in their manufacture and installation - the prices have fallen by 10 to 15% in the last year or two, and if this trend were to continue, they'd be profitable without any extra taxpayer-funded payments, if it only it were to continue. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/the_green_deal.php What is the Green Deal? With increasing press coverage, there are increasing rumours (and confusion) as to what the Green Deal is, and which industries it’ll cover. The Energy Bill was introduced in Parliament on the 8th of December, 2010, which included the Green Deal itself. The goal of the programme is to “revolutionise the efficiency of British properties” according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change website. How will the government achieve this? The answer is through a framework to encourage households and businesses to buy energy efficiency measures from private companies. Those wishing to install energy efficiency improving measures will be able to buy products such as loft insulation not as an up-front payment, but instead in a monthly format through their bills. However, the golden rule tying this all together is that the savings made on each bill must be greater than the ongoing cost of a loan to buy the home improvements. This means that there will be minimal cost to the government, but there is already a lot of criticism in place, such as a recent article in the Guardian, saying that the “market level of interest” as decided by the government, will make a crucial impact on the scheme, and could make many products unaffordable through the scheme. Currently, no firm decision has been made as to which industries will be covered by the Green Deal. The DECC have included loft, cavity and solid wall insulation as an example on their website, with no mention of double glazing or boilers, although both of those industries have members lobbying the government. It would seem logical that these further methods of decreasing emissions should be covered – the example of external solid wall insulation costs approximately £10,000 and only saves around £400 per year, whereas the Energy Saving Trust state that replacing a very old boiler could save £300, but at a cost closer to £3,000. With the target being for the installations of energy improvements to start from March 2012, it’ll be interesting to see the impact it has on demand for insulation (which we also can provide, along with solar panels - phone us if you're interested), so keep reading and you’ll see reports here. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/electric_cars_catch_on.php Will Electric Cars ever Catch On? A perennial problem of electric cars is that introducing them on a broad scale via private companies is that a chicken and egg scenario is encountered; potential owners don’t want to buy the cars until there are plenty of charging points available, and potential charging-point companies can’t get any serious investment until there is sufficient demand. Some cars even have solar panels, but the power provided by them is - at the moment - rather insignficant. In 2011, the UK government launched a £5,000 grant scheme, paying thousands of pounds to the newest owners of these energy efficient vehicles. However, with the issue of “range anxiety”, as popularised in the car review program ‘Top Gear’, owners weren’t hasty to take up the government’s seemingly-generous offer. The Department for Transport’s figures show 465 sold in Q1 of 2011, and a depressing 215 further electric vehicle sales in Q2 of the same year – figures, unsurprisingly, have been delayed for Q3. Studies have shown that the majority of electric car charging would be happening at home, but even with a grant for the cars, who would want one if they couldn’t drive any distance on a slightly more adventurous trip? Source: TheDailyBuggle.com Recently, it has been announced that a Boris-backed recharging network will be introduced across London. This will consist of 216 charging points across London, so hopefully when this is coupled with the grant scheme, the chickens and eggs can be introduced at the same time! Private companies are also slowly starting to invest – Ecotricity, supposedly a national scheme, have 12 charging points. More excitingly, the Manchester Electric Car Company are building 300 points up North, and Chargemaster currently have 150 points in place across the country, with plans for a further 3,850 by the start of 2013. For the full privatisation of electric cars to be a success, and for them to achieve a real degree of popularity, it’ll be necessary that any government funding is used to address issues surrounding incompatibility between different companies’ systems, and to ensure there is sufficient investment in place in a broad infrastructure to make electricity as available as widely as possible, and so it can start to approach petrol as a viable alternative. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/green_uk_no_more.php Why is the UK drifting from Being Green? As a company dealing with residential solar panels across the UK, we get a very good feel for how much demand there is on a national scale for solar panels, which are the principle renewable technology to be found on a residential scale. Currently, there is still a lot of demand. Have a look at the number of enquiries we've received on our website: Source: Our Main Advertising Account! It is important to consider that we started in the solar market after the Feed in Tariff had already been introduced. The dip in the graph is due to Christmas. Enquiries are dwindling slightly, and there is an increasing number of people asking about what will happen with the Feed in Tariff, who are made insecure by the chopping and changing of renewables policy - for example, the introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive, which had major issues. In 2008, the Climate Change Act was introduced, and, with it, the UK's renewable future looked bright. Right after the 2010 General Election, David Cameron declared that he wanted the coalition to be the "greenest government ever", although given politician's love of vague statements without figures, he then followed this with the aim of cutting emissions by 10% by the end of 2010, which was easily met and exceeded. Source: The Telegraph However, recent times have seen some worrying news. Firstly, the Sustainable Development Commission has been scrapped. Proponents argued that its advice on how to reduce pollution efficiently was worth many more times than the cost of running the service. Indeed, the environmental department has received the largest cuts following a tightening of government funding. Some recent policy suggestions feel almost Thatcherite in nature - the Department for Transport has announced that it may introduce 80mph speed limits on our motorways, and with them, a massive rise in pollution for the time savings of a few commuters - get up earlier! Nick Clegg, following massive green support in the electorate, has been remarkably quiet on environmental issues, and Chris Huhne working for the DECC is having his footing pulled from under him. Politicians - sort it out! These U-turns in policy not only lead to insecurity for investors in green markets, but they mean we are now pointing directly at environmental disaster, presumably so a few politicians can gain a few votes from ever-cash-strapped voters. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/london_solar_power_bridge.php Solar Power Bridge – a World First A £7million investment has just been made to create the World’s largest solar panel covered bridge; a lot of money! It will generate enough electricity to provide power to 300 houses each year, due to its 100 solar panel “leaves” that’ll form a roof over the brand new Blackfriars station currently being constructed on top of a Victorian bridge over the River Thames. In total, the installation will have 4,400 solar panels, and may well start a range of similar projects on station roofs. David Wilson, from Network Rail, said “If it’s successful you will see a lot more solar panels on stations in the future.” Source: www.geek.com It’s an exciting development not just from an architectural perspective, but also from the impact it could have towards the environment; in total, there are 2,656 stations in the UK, so if all had similar size installations, that’d be enough electricity for approximately 750,000 homes, although at a cost of £18.5bn – rather a lot more money than is probably available for investment, although this doesn’t take into account the economies of scale that could occur with such a large project. The project is being installed by Solarcentury. Derry Newman, chief executive, said “It’s absolutely unique. You’ve got a 19th century bridge with a 21st century roof. It will start to inform people’s opinion that this is part of what the future is and a normal part of where you get electricity.” There already exists a similar structure in Brisbane – there they have the world’s biggest footbridge with solar power. It was completed two years ago, and has a striking structure looking like a collection of very large needles. In Belgium, solar panels were installed a few months ago on top of a train tunnel between Paris and Antwerp. Source: www.inhabitat.com These are certainly some of the most beautiful solar installations around. I'll do a round up in a future edition of the coolest solar structures out there. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/george_osbourne_weakens_environmental_stance.php George Osbourne to Weaken Green Stance This weekend, the Conservative party conference was held in Manchester. George Osborne, the chancellor, pledged: "We’re going to cut our carbon emissions no slower but also no faster than our fellow countries in Europe". A vague sentence indeed – there is massive variation in the different countries in Europe (and amongst Conservative politicians regarding their stance – more on that later!) For example, Italy have just announced that they’re aiming for an increase from 9GW to 26GW installed solar capacity, whereas other countries such as Germany are now cutting Feed in Tariff rates. This statement is certainly not brand new – Osborne has tried to block the most recent targets for trimming carbon emissions, although he was fortunately overruled by David Cameron. Commentary since has focused on how it is the most outspoken statement yet by the chancellor showing a lack of confidence in the importance and power of green policies. Source: M. Holland Law dictates that the UK government must reduce carbon by 35% by 2022 and by a very significant 50% by 2025. Trying to reduce these targets at this stage would prove a massive and probably insurmountable challenge within the cabinet for Osborne. Commentary from the Guardian suggests that this statement could be viewed as a warning shot from the chancellor in order to win him support amongst the right-leaning in the electorate with a view to future battles for the leadership. Unfortunately, the consequences of such vague, negative statements involve an increase in instability for green businesses, such as solar panel companies already worried by the possible reduction in the Feed in Tariff in April 2012, which would be in line with what has happened in several other EU countries. This statement by Osborne directly contradicts what was mentioned before the election, "If I become chancellor, the Treasury will become a green ally, not a foe". On Monday, he accused a "decade of environmental laws and regulations" for increasing energy costs for households and firms alike. This just isn’t true – the vast majority of cost increases have been shown to be caused by steady and continual rises in fossil fuel prices, as demand growth is massively outstripping that of supply, as stated by Chris Huhne, Lib Dem energy and climate change secretary. Osborne himself in 2007 stated "rather than green policies stifling economic growth, it’s clear that the converse is true"! It’s not quite a U-turn of Heath’s standards, but it is terrible to see such instability being created through inconsistent statements. The reaction from campaigners has been extremely angry and negative. Even the Conservative environment network declared Osborne’s statement as a "clanger". Paul Foote said "Osborne has betrayed a fundamental misunderstanding about how to make our recover secure and sustainable." From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/unusual_ways_to_save_energy.php Unusual Ways To Save Energy - Guest Blog Entry With the ever increasing cost of water, gas and electricity homeowners are becoming more aware of the importance of limiting their energy usage. Here are some ways to help reduce bills by saving energy in ways you probably haven't thought of! Spend family time together - Rather than the kids going to their rooms to play on games consoles or listen to music, why not get together once or twice a week and only watch just one television. Do this for a whole year and you will be amazed at the cost saving. Exchange heat – Install an energy efficient heat exchange system to your central heating. These work by allowing the outgoing air to warm the incoming air. This is a great system for reducing the amount of energy required by the rest of the system. Restrict Water – Install flow restrictors to all taps and add a water efficient shower head. These work by aerating the water coming out of the tap without reducing water pressure. For more expensive methods of saving water install a small sized bath which only hold around 110 litres of water rather than the normal 180 litres. Cooking – Be sure to keep lids on pots and pans. This will help keep the heat where it is needed and therefore reduce cooking times somewhat. Additionally use the appropriate sized pan for what you are cooking. There`s no point using a stock pot and a bucket of water to boil an egg Unused fireplace – Modern homeowners tend to use the central heating system to heat their home. As such why not plug the flue with insulation to prevent heat literally rushing out the chimney. Just remember to remove it before lighting a fire. Insulate windows - During winter months use thick curtains to prevent heat loss through the glass. Another option but more expensive is to install insulated window shutters to the property. Insulate your garage door - The opening to a garage is essentially are large void in the buildings structure that can leave heat and money rushing out of. Installing a high performance energy saving insulated roller garage door or sectional garage door can dramatically reduce heating bills Written by Dan from www.rollerdoors.co.uk From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/solar_power_energy_contribution.php Is Renewable Energy and Solar Power Making a Difference? The vast majority of carbon emissions are due to the burning of fossil fuels. The reasons for this, are principally to generate electrical power, heat or movement (for example, transport). For renewable energy to have a significant impact, it must be able to replace these requirements, at least in the short term before technology can adapt. Renewable energy principally includes solar power, wind, hydro, biomass and marine energy. The other major contributor towards low carbon energy production is nuclear power. The relative contributions from these sources is as follows: As you can see, this initially looks depressing, however, this is based on the most recently available data, which was 2008 - the main solar incentives were not introduced until April in 2010, which is when it has seen explosive growth, even if such expansion started from 0.1% of totally energy provision in the UK. A report financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety and the US Department of State placed estimates on the contributions of renewable energy towards final energy consumption at 19% (up from 13% in 2008), and that of nuclear at 2.9%, a 50% increase from 2008. I imagine the figures for 2010 and 2011, when they are eventually released, will show an even sunnier picture, because these are the two years when solar panels and renewable energy have really taken hold. Our office, dealing with solar enquiries, has increased in size from a two person business, to a company employing about 15 people as there are more and more people wanting quotes to power their homes with photovoltaic systems. From an environmental standpoint, the good news continues when total energy consumption is considered. Total energy use per capita is declining in the UK: Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators However, the World's energy use is rising, although fairly gradually, but it will continue to be important for fast-developing countries such as China and India to grow with renewable energy and not against it. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/huhne_to_get_tough.php Chris Huhne to 'get tough' on energy costs Following his speech to the Lib Dem conference, Energy Secretary Chris Huhne is to crack down on energy companies offering misleading and confusing deals with regards to energy prices, particularly concerning the "Big Six" - British Gas, Scottish Power, Scottish and Southern, Npower, E.On and EDF. In particular, he wants energy companies to be obliged to tell customers if they could buy more cheaply on a different tariff, over concerns that a lot of customers do not fully understand how they are charged for their energy use. "It's not fair that big energy companies can push their prices up for the vast majority of their consumers, who do not switch, while introducing cut-throat offers for new customers that stop small firms entering the market." Certain companies offer much better deals online to new customers, where competition is rife, whereas existing customers, of course not made aware of this process, suffer higher prices for the same goods. To prevent this, Huhne proposed greater powers to Ofgem, who can already fine companies up to 10% of their annual turnover. This could prove costly - Centrica, parent company of British Gas, has a turnover of pound;14 billion as of 2009. Image Source: The Telegraph Cynics may highlight that oil price rises cause a lot of issues politically, because they have such widespread effects on the voting public. So many household items rely on transport, or oil use directly or indirectly in their manufacturing processes. High prices at pumps make voters grumble when they fill up their cars, as do sky-rocketing food costs, particularly at a time of slow economic growth. Huhne's speech is popular for this reason - our wallets are all suffering, so a politican standing up and "taking our side" is bound to be popular. In an age when information is increasingly abundant, with the internet full of comparison websites ( such as our own solar panels one), it could be argued that consumers are increasingly armed in the battle against big companies. This speech may be what we want to hear, but are these measures necessary, or are they an appeal to the electorate? Let me know what you think! Email me james@comparecompanies.co.uk - I'll publish the most interesting comments. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/solar_panels_hit_windsor.php Renewable Energy Hits Windsor Castle Water powered hydo-electric turbines are currently being placed in the River Thames, which will be used to provide renewable energy in order to power Windsor Castle this coming winter. The close by river is soon to be housing two giant turbines, which are being lifted into place at Romney Weir by a crane leased by the Environment Agency. Royal advisors have since revisited past plans to power the castle using renewable power feeling that now is a more suitable time. The turbines will work by generating energy using the water current flowing in the river in order to produce and generate electricity. David Dechambeau has said that the two new Archimedes Screw Turbines should be operational come November. The Environment Agency has begun working in partnership with Windsor and Maidenhead Council in Berkshire investigating possible projects at a number of additional weirs including a location in Marlow. Progress is also currently being made at Oxfordshire weirs in Goring and Osney. Barry Russel, the leader from the Environment Agency’s hydro power project has said "This is a great opportunity for developers and community groups to get involved in generating clean, green electricity in an environmentally sustainable way.” Weirs primary purpose up until now has been managing water levels for flood risk management and navigation, however are now playing a part in Britain's renewable energy sector as new technology becomes available. The energy generating potential of river weirs have been up until now an unutilised source for generating energy in combination with hydro technologies, which the Environment Agency would like to see play a greater role in generating the energy we use. A spokeswoman for Buckingham Palace has said “I can confirm that the Royal household now has an agreement in place to purchase the energy generated by the hydro scheme, implemented by SEPEL.” This guest post was written by Steve Hurst of Acre Resources. Acre specialise in Health, Safety and Environment recruitment. They provide a range of international health and safety jobs. To learn more about Acre Resources please visit: http://www.acre-resources.com. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/infra_red_solar_panels.php Generating Electricity at Night with Solar Panels - How? A quick overview of how solar panels work: Solar panels currently consist of an array of photovoltaic cells, which produce electricity. They are made of materials which can easily release electrons when they absorb enough energy from light. These electrons, when released, flow around a circuit, generating a direct current (because it’s constant and in one direction). Household appliances require alternating current, meaning electrons that continuously reverse the direction in which they flow around the circuit, so solar panel systems will typically include an inverter, which converts current from direct current to alternating current. A summary of visible light: Visible light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The term “electromagnetic spectrum” refers to electromagnetic radiation, which is a range of waves (varying in wavelength) that travel through the atmosphere and can transfer energy. Higher frequency waves have a higher energy than lower frequency waves. Visible light is a section of this spectrum, at around 1 micrometer in wavelength, with 1.24eV of energy. Infrared light What is infrared light? Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a slightly longer wavelength than visible light, and so it contains slightly less energy – closer to 124meV at the top end of its wavelength range. It is emitted by the Sun, and anything that is warm. Even other humans give off infrared light. Image source: treehugger.com How could infrared be used to generate solar power? Whilst there is little energy being received at night in the visible light range ( in other words, it’s dark at night!), there is still a significant amount of infrared light that could be used to generate electricity, because of the fact that anything warm will emit infrared radiation, and so if solar cells could generate a current using both the visible and the infrared ranges of light, then more solar energy could be captured during the day, as well as potential electricity generation at night. Has anything like this been built so far? Plenty of research has been done in this area. In 2008, at the Idaho National Laboratory, researchers have developed a nano-antenna array capable of collecting solar power from both visible light and from infrared energy too, and, excitingly, using a production process that is very cheap (source: ecogeek.com). However, the reason why we aren’t yet seeing these systems appearing either on a residential or commercial scale is that the grid they constructed receives the infrared energy at 10,000,000,000,000,000 times per second, so this is an alternating current which changes direction 10 thousand billion times every second. The typical alternating current used in household appliances is 50 to 60Hz, meaning 50 to 60 changes per second. These new materials used in solar cell manufacture could increase the percentage efficiency up to about 30%, according to Peter Peumans, a Stanford University electrical engineering professor. This compares to the most efficient systems currently available of about 20%. More recently, at the Idaho National Laboratory, researcher Steven Novack has been mentioning the possibility that this figure may be even higher, around the 50% mark. Their progress so far is such that they’ve produced working panel systems, but they are not yet financially viable as a way to generate power. When will we see it widely adopted? The main thing that needs to be overcome is producing an efficient diode, to convert the current to a usable frequency. At the moment, diodes in production for this use are far too inefficient, under 2%, whilst the system for capturing the infrared energy can be as high as 90%. Novack’s group, and several others, are trying to produce a diode of closer to 50% efficiency, at which point a whole new breed of solar panels would take off, presuming the cost of this can be kept down to a reasonable order of magnitude – the end result would be a 45% efficient system, compared to the 20% of a standard solar panel set up. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/max_planck_solar_panels.php Max Planck, the Theory of Solar Panels Max Planck - a great name for a great physicist. Today's blog entry is going to have a historical twist as we go back in time to think about where solar panels come from. Light is a type of wave, and an unusual one. Waves are typically defined as either longitudinal or transverse, so I'll start by explaining these. Transverse waves oscillate (wobble up and down) in a direction perpendicular to the wave's direction of travel. That's quite a bit of jargon, so I'll use a diagram: nbsp; Let's think of a real-life example. If two people are standing facing each other and holding a Slinky, then if one person moves his arm up and down, it will create a transverse wave in the slinky. If the person now stops flapping his arms about and instead decides to push the end of the slinky towards the other person, and then to pull it away from them repeatedly, a longitudinal wave will be created. So how is light unusual, and how does this relate to Max Planck? Light exhibits properties of both longitudinal and transverse waves. It is longitudinal in the sense that it is a ray of photons, which are packets of information, and these come in clusters (like the tightly packed areas of a slinky compared to the stretched out areas). It exhibits transverse behaviour because it changes direction when it enters a medium of a different density at any non-perpendicular angle (I'll go into that another time, maybe). Max Planck defined a formula used to calculate that the energy within photons is directly proportional to the light frequency, basically describing what light itself is. If photon energy is greater than the forces that hold the electrons in a metal, then electrons may be discharged, which is the definition of a current - electrical power. Therefore, with the appropriate materials (those metals with weak forces holding the electrons in place), solar panels can be created! From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/limits_to_solar_power.php Solar Panels - Limits to Energy by Sam Haskell The laws of physics impose very definite constraints on the information processing capabilities of intelligent civilizations, placing limitations on how much heat can be dissipated away from information processing systems, how fast computers can run, how much information can be stored, and what size and density storage and computational devices can be. Barring technological regression caused by anti-technological movements, laws or accident, the information processing needs of a civilization will grow exponentially until limits set by physical law are met. In order to service this expansion to the very limits of possibility, a technologically advancing civilization will need to harvest ever more and more energy with ever greater efficiency in a logical escalation which will eventually lead to a Type II Kardashev civilization, where most or all of the energy output of their local star is captured. If a civilization survives long enough to demand the total energy output of its star, it will have to embark on a megastructural engineering project to create a network of orbiting solar panels collectors around the star to maximally intercept its energy output. These hypothetical structures are referred to as Dyson spheres, after the physicist Freeman Dyson who first formalized the concept of a shell-like system of orbital solar collectors as a means of achieving maximal solar energy efficiency. In its most feasible form, a Dyson sphere is more strictly a series of Dyson rings, which are huge energy-gathering satellites deployed in rings that orbit around the sun, sharing a common axis of rotation with an orbital radius approximately equal to the earth-sun distance. A similar variant is the Dyson swarm, where solar collecting satellites and space habitats are arranged in a denser and more complex patterns to intercept more of the star's output, at the risk of orbital perturbations and instability as the independent orbits of the cloud of collectors interact with each other. Additional variants of the Dyson sphere include non-orbital collectors, anchored by light sails to remain stationary in relation to the star. The idealized Dyson sphere is the Dyson shell, which would be a shell of solid matter that would completely enclose a star and thus intercept all of its emissions, but it would be likely to require more matter to construct than is available in our entire solar system, even if all the planets and gas giants were broken down into building materials. Furthermore, no existing or theoretical material would be able to stand the compressive pressure a static, rigid sphere large enough to encompass the sun would exert on itself. Practical Dyson spheres will therefore never be 100% efficient, with gaps between collectors allowing energy to escape and the collectors themselves absorbing and then reradiating more of the total available energy. Theoretically, the wavelengths of the reradiated energy from the collectors would be sufficiently different from the expected wavelengths of light for the star's spectral type that they could be detected at interstellar distances. If an alien civilization has constructed a Dyson sphere using the kind of materials that are available in our solar system, then the infrared radiation re-emitted by the solar collectors should be detectable from earth. If there are Kardashev Type II civilizations out there, we should be able to see them through the altered light of their star system. Maybe just stick to solar panels for now then? Thanks to Sam Haskell who wrote this article as part of his project to write 100 blog articles in 100 days. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/solar_panels_ultimate_weapon.php Solar - The Ultimate Renewable Weapon? It's Friday, so I thought I'd write something a bit different. Are solar panels the ultimate weapon? Let's start by considering general renewable energy weaponry first of all. First up in this arsenal is water. How can it be used as a weapon? Poisoning it. One of the most famous people in history who was afraid of his water killing him was Mithridates VI, King of Pontius - an ancient state of northern Anatolia. He lived in constant fear that this was how he'd meet his end, so much so that he became an early pioneer searching continuously for a cure for poisons. He actually went so far as to test poisons on criminals who were facing execution to see if his anecdotes were successful! Then he took it one step further, and started micro-dosing himself with poison, to make himself immune to as many poisons as possible. Wind is another potential weapon (ha ha). We aren't yet able to control hurricanes, so how can this be used to maim? Air guns represent the oldest pneumatic technology - the first ever air gun was a bellows gun dating back to the 16th century, which would compress air to fire a metallic projectile. The first time these were introduced into battle was with the Girandoni Military Repeating Air Rifle, when they had distinct advantages over the other weapons available at that time - they worked in wet weather, and it didn't take long to fire repeated shots compared to the long reloading period of muzzle-loading guns. They had a muzzle velocity of 650 to 1,000 feet per second, so weren't quite as powerful, but they were more reliable and they didn't give off smoke thus could be used without giving away the user's position. And now it's onto our special topic - solar power. Can this provide the ultimate in renewable weaponry? James Bond, in 'The Man with the Golden Gun', had to prevent a "Solex Agitator" from falling into the hands of his nemesis Francisco Scaramanga - a satellite that could focus solar energy and direct a powerful laser beam to destroy cities, in an environmentally friendly fashion. This certainly would be possible, but would cost a fortune and nothing like this currently exists. But, in any case, I think solar is the ultimate renewable weapon. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/solar_panels_for_cars.php Solar Panels - Any Use for Cars? This isn't going to be a post declaring that cars ought to have solar panels. At this stage, with current technology, solar panels just can't generate enough electricity for every day car use. Certainly, there are solar powered car projects out there. Excitingly, however, cars will soon be benefited by solar panels. How will this happen? Roads that use solar power to melt snow are becoming a reality, at least on a small scale in Idaho. CEO Scott Brusaw of Solar Roadways is pleased to have recently received a $750,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration with which to build a parking lot paved with solar panels. How does this technology work? In 2010, solar roadways constructed a 12 square foot prototype of its solar road to show off this technology. The set up consisted of an array of solar panels, electric heating elements and a grid of wireless LED lights so message could also be displayed. A durable glass was put over the top of the installation, which can - surprisingly - produce the same levels of grip as asphalt, and it also is non-glare. Phase 2 of this project will involve using the grant to construct a parking lot outside of the company's offices, so the technology can be easily monitored 24 hours a day. Why can't solar panels be used to power cars themselves? Electric cars are nothing new, let's consider the Tesla Roadster. It does 245 miles per charge, has zero emissions and does 0 to 60mph in just 3.7 seconds. This car uses about 200 watt-hours per mile traveled. If you assume about 35 miles per day drive on average, you would need 2.6MW-hours generated per year. This would require about 9.7 square metres of solar panels to offset all of this power completely, running 24 hours a day. These certainly wouldn't fit onto the 1 square metre roof of your car, although obviously if they were fitted onto your house, then you could then power you car from them. However, this would then mean the car wouldn't be charging all the time, so a bigger system would be required. If the roof of the car had a 1 square metre solar panel, then that would generate enough electricity to travel about 2 miles per day if it is in direct sunlight, although a 50% loss would be more realistic due to sub-optimal angles and shadows. So, they'd be perfect if you had a 1 mile round commute and didn't want to buy any electricity! At least this is a start, though, and shows with efficiency improvements, I'm confident we will eventually see at least partly solar powered cars. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/prioritising_solar_panels_worsens_climate_change.php Can prioritising solar panels worsen climate change? It seems the various political parties in the UK have conflicting opinions over which policies should be implemented. For example, Jonathon Porrit, of the Green Party has criticised Nuclear Energy because it isn't renewable like solar power. However, we must take a step back from these arguments and consider what the goal behind all these environmental improvements should be. What are we ultimately trying to achieve? Indeed, answers to this question itself will vary. Ultimately, improving the environment and reducing global warming, and cutting all of the ill effects of sea levels rising, more extreme weather and so on is very important. This is, in my opinion at least, what we should be aiming to do, and in the most cost-effective manner possible. With any problem involving expenditure, economics dictates that the solution lies in working out the level of pollution which is optimal for society, and in calculating the most cost effective manner of getting there. For example, a small level of emissions, if it is millions of pounds cheaper than a slightly smaller level of emissions, may well be better - in this case, it isn't worth making the push to cut pollution that tiny bit more because it means fewer hospitals, worse roads and so on. Porrit says that we could meet all our electricity needs through renewables. However, this would take much longer than using nuclear power on a large scale, and it is roughly half the cost. That extra money could go into schools, or other valuable projects. However, we'd then have to put up with the downsides of nuclear power - primarily, dealing with toxic waste. The question needing to be asked from an economics perspective is whether the benefits of using nuclear power instead of solar panels outweigh the disadvantages. There is no reason from this perspective of favouring the renewables sector, at least in the short to medium run. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/green_is_new_black_solar_celebrities.php Green is the new Black - Solar Celebrities I'm forever writing how solar panels are getting more and more popular. I start a lot of articles and blog entries that way. This article is on that topic - the springing up of solar panels on celebrity mansions! Who's got them then? First up on the list is Cate Blanchett. She has won Academy Awards, and now she's got solar panels on her Australian residence which is entirely off-grid. Indeed, along with her husband, she led the efforts to push the Sydney Theatre Company to get solar panels installed on its roof, as well as a rainwater collecting system. Edward Norton, from Painted Veil and Kingdom of Heaven, established BP Solar Neighbors - a charity which donates a set of solar panels to a low income family every time a celebrity gets a solar panel installation. This has meant a large collection of celebrities have taken part. To name a few - Danny DeVito, Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell and Jack Johnson. Was Tom Hanks thinking about new ways to save the environment when he ran across the country as Forest Gump? I like to think so. Renewable energy has reached Pirates of the Caribbean too - Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp, the two stars, are both investors in photovoltaic technology. Orlando is currently building a London home powered by the Sun, and Johnny Depp is taking it one step further - he owns an entire island in the Bahamas, which will be entirely powered by solar panels rather than the more traditional, but far less friendly, diesel generators. After a bit more research, I could go on and on with celebrities who have gone green - Al Gore, Leonardo DiCaprio, Woody Harrelson, and many more. This effect can only help embed the idea into society that solar panels are becoming cool, and they aren't some weird project that bearded men build in their sheds! From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/solar_panels_dragons_den.php Solar Panels on Dragons' Den Last night's episode of Dragons' Den on BBC2 featured the usual array of ill-advised contestants turned away due to vague statistics or not being switched on when questioned on their ideas. Particularly amusing was a chap called Alan, trying to sell his 'Miruji health and well-being' system, which he said could cure obesity and fat would just melt away. The Dragons each had a go in the chair, which gave a massage accompanied with a soft female voice hypnotically attempting to convince the user that they were lying on a beach in front of a seven star hotel. Unsurprisingly, the heavily grounded in reality Dragons were not amused - Ms Devey actually screamed "I'm not amused, I'm angry. I'm OUT!" That was that for poor Alan. However, the runaway success of the programme came in the form of Chris Hopkins, owner of Ploughcroft Solar. He set up his company 13 years ago. All of the Dragons loved his idea to make use of the Feed In Tariff, except for a rather irked Mr Jones. Indeed, the remaining Dragons got in a battle over who could invest the most in this project. The fight resulted in a joint investment from Theo and Deborah Meaden of £100,000 for a 12.5% stake each. Moving on from the show, Hopkins has already teamed up with a high street electrical company - Plumb - to provide his service to households in the North of England, and aims to open future plans across the UK to get more households to partake in the scheme, and more money for himself I'm sure! From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/top_four_ways_to_cut_carbon.php Top 4 Ways to Cut Carbon 1 - Change your light-bulbs Whilst this isn't an exciting start to the list, swapping your lightbulbs can make a huge difference. Low-energy bulbs last about 12 times longer than conventional ones, and each bulb you swap for an eco bulb will save £9 and 40kg of CO2 emissions each year. If every household in the UK did this with 15 bulbs, it'd save the equivalent of 5 power stations' output. 2 - Insulate, insulate, insulate! The amount of energy lost through the walls and roofs of British homes would be sufficient to heat three million houses. 25% of this heat loss is through roofs. Installing sufficient loft insulation saves about £240 annually, along with 1,000kg of CO2 emissions. There are government grants in the UK to help with this - all households regardless of personal circumstances are eligible for a 40% grant at least, and with many it's 100%. 3 - Is your boiler heating more than hot water? Old boilers, almost without exception, are very inefficient - you'll be spending money to heat up the environment. Non-condensing boilers waste 40% of the heat generated, compared to modern boilers which have to be condensing, and save 30% of the energy required, equating to a further 1,000kg potential CO2 savings per year. That's a lot over the lifespan of a boiler. 4 - Recycling, it matters The majority of households in the UK now have collections from your doorstep of materials for recycling. Indeed, in some areas, you can be fined if you don't recycle. Sort your rubbish out carefully - if the average household recycled 10% more, they'd cut CO2 by 90kg per year. Don't overlook second hand charity shops either - re-using goods takes a lot less energy that producing more. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/british_gas_helping_save_money.php British Gas - Helping Us Save Money, Apparently British Gas has a new "Green Deal" - a way for us to "cut your bills and make your home energy efficient at no upfront cost!" What a great opportunity to save the World, and your wallet. The media has been chock-a-block with reports of energy bills rocketing skywards recently. Chris Huhne, Energy Secretary, said otherwise in response to criticism on the Andrew Marr Show : We are not going to have the highest prices in Europe. That's absolute nonsense. The reality is that we have some of the lowest energy prices and we can get them even lower. He continued with : We've got to get off that oil and gas fuel hook. In the short run what we are trying to do is to encourage new companies into the market and more competition. However, this is likely to prove difficult in the energy sector, which has incredibly high barriers to entry, so large companies with little competition will naturally rise. At least the rising popularity of comparison sites ought to help consumers to some extent. British Gas, the largest energy supplier in the UK, are offering households a "forerunner to the Green Deal" with their opportunity to give access to energy efficiency technologies, such as insulation or smart metering to slash bills. However, they fail to mention that it is British Gas themselves who have caused much of the recent price increase, announcing an 18% price rise for gas customers and 16% for its electricity customers. No reference at all to their own increases was made in the announcement of their new Green Deal. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/fatties_are_bad_for_environment.php Fatties are Bad for the Environment A bit of casual Googling has led me to find that fat people are bad for the environment. A study in the International Journal of Epidemiology by the London School of Hygiene Tropical Medicine concluded that those classed as "overweight" emit, on average, 10% more carbon dioxide emissions. Why is this? If you weigh more, when you walk about, it's the equivalent of driving an SUV rather than a compact car. This means that heavier people use more energy to do the same amount of waddling about, and so have a greater calorific need. This is met by food, which is a major source of emissions. "We need to be doing a lot more to reverse the global trend toward fatness, and recognise it as a key factor in the battle to reduce emissions and slow climate change" said researchers Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts. According to EU estimates, each citizen accounts for 11 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year. Solar panels would save 1 of these tonnes, even if you're fat. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/daily_fail_solar_panels_exaggerations.php Daily Fail - Solar Panel Exaggerations This week, the papers have been rife with negative press towards solar panels. The Daily Mail's money section was headlined with 'Don't fall for the solar panels con' - a bold demand indeed! They start their article: "Solar panels that cost up to £16,000 will knock just £70 a year off household bills..." It's not until you're nearing the middle of the article does journalist Lauren Thompson mention the Feed in Tariff: "The homeowners are also paid about 35p per kWh for the energy they use. The remaining 75pc of unused energy that has been generated will be sold back tot he grid for about 41p per kWh." A shining example of journalism using facts and figures to support a sensationalist headline. Homeowners are paid 41.3p per kWh for the energy they use under the Generation Tariff, and the energy sold back to the main grid is sold for 43.1p per kWh under the Export Tariff. These facts and figures are readily available on the Energy Saving Trust's website here , and they're on the Department of Energy and Climate Change's website too. Mrs Thompson later uses the same tactic: "at night, in the evening and on cloudy days - when the solar panels cannot produce any energy - the homeowner must buy electricity from their supplier at a rate of about 20p per kWh" A quick Google reveals on the British Gas website, the largest energy provider in the UK, that the price of electricity under their standard tariff is 11.8p per unit. It seems startling hypocritical that an article slamming dubious calculations and sales tactics is itself doing just that to promote its own headline! From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/fat_lazy_and_saving_environment.php Fat, Lazy, Environmental Heroes So, you're sitting there, beer in one hand, TV remote in the other. You can barely be bothered with getting up to go to the fridge, so surely you're the last person on Earth who is going to be pro-active about saving the environment? Absolutely correct! However, what are the things you can do without moving from the sofa? I'm going to guess that you have a mobile phone to hand. Use your chunky fingers to dial, for example, 08000845076 to get a few quotes for solar panels. I'm going to try to list a competitor's number in the interest of keeping this blog neutral: 0870138414 (definitely don't ring it). Installing solar panels takes a lot less effort than getting up and going to the fridge. It certainly takes a lot less effort than going to work in someone else's armpit (on the train or bus, if you see what I mean). The average solar panel system in the UK for a domestic property will save over 1,000 kg of carbon dioxide per annum. That takes up enough space to fill our small office 120 times, every year. How much effort is it to prevent all of this damage? Basically, none. There is no regular maintenance required. Replacing the inverter is sometimes necessary, but you won't be the person doing that - you can use your phone, and stay seated, munching chocolate in front of a movie. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.http://www.talksolarpanels.co.uk/what_does_future_hold_for_solar_panels.php What does the future hold for Solar Panels? The efficiency of solar panels is constantly improving, generally through improvements in the technology of the photovoltaic cells themselves. For example, Sydney scientists have just broken the World record for solar cell efficiency, twice. Matt Edwards, based at the University of New South Wales, said that commonly used silicon cells found in domestic systems have an efficiency, at the moment, of about 18%. However, with a new laser process, his team managed to manufacture silicon cells with a 19.3% efficiency in May, breaking the World record once, and again in June at 19.4%. Given the costs of installing domestic solar panels, usually around £10,000 or more, this efficiency increase represents an improvement in returns on this investment for households of about 7%, therefore helping encourage their adoption across the UK when this technology becomes widespread. For a large solar cell company, Dr Edwards claimed it would represent a "cost saving of the order of $100 million per year to the bottom line of a large solar cell company". The team's next goal? To produce efficiencies of more than 21% by the end of 2012 with these low-cost silicon cells. However, whilst the economic benefits of these improvements are exciting, they aren't the sort of thing that will truly excite an every day person! What is cool though, is the new technology that has been developed to turn windows into a solar electricity generating system. Sweet! Professor Chris Binns, team leader of this development by Norwegian company EnSol AS, said: "One of the key advantages is that it is a transparent thin film that can be coated onto window glass so that windows in buildings can also become power generators. Conversely, the structural material of the building can also be coated. This could be side panels of the building itself or even in the form of 'clip-together' solar roof tiles." This opens up the possibility of individual flats and apartments being able to take advantage of renewable energy. Indeed, Professor Binns said that "It could even be used on the roofs of cars to charge up batteries - although powering the vehicles themselves would probably be pushing it" - so there are some limits at the moment. They hope to release this unique patented film commercially by 2016 for households. It'll be interesting to see the price and efficiency compared to regular silicon solar cells. From the blog at Talk Solar Panels, a solar panels cost comparison service.