What a difference a few months can make. Not so long ago, solar PV panels were the poor relation in the green energy family, with a payback period of up to 25 years. But the new Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme, that provides payments for electricity generated by small-scale anaerobic digestion, hydro, CHP (combined heat and power) and wind power schemes, has changed all that.
"The FiT scheme has been criticised for lacking in ambition compared with other schemes in Europe because it is expected to deliver only 2% of UK electricity production by 2020," says Jonathan Scurlock, the NFU's chief adviser on renewable energy and climate change. "But with a typical return on investment of 8-12%, the Feed-in Tariff makes solar photovoltaic generation a much more attractive investment than it had been previously."
The Feed-in Tariff, which is available for schemes generating less than 5MW per year, is paid by electricity suppliers whether this green energy is consumed by the generator or sold to feed in to the national supply. So, on top of the payment itself, farm-based generators can replace all or at least some of the electricity they currently purchase and sell any surplus.
There are two principal options, invest in a barn roof system or field array or leave the investment to someone else by renting out roof or field space for the duration of the guaranteed 25-year life of the FiT scheme.
• What exactly is a solar panel?
Light shining on a solar panel creates an electric field across layers of silicon in each cell, causing electricity to flow. This DC power can be used straight away or fed into the national grid. Photovoltaic cells were first developed by Bell Laboratories in 1954.
• Aren't solar panels a bit delicate for putting on a shed roof?
They're actually quite robust as there are no moving parts. PV modules have an expected lifetime of 45-50 years, albeit with a progressive loss in performance efficiency.
• What about maintenance?
PV modules need no routine maintenance other than occasionally being cleaned. Inverters and control gear will typically need replacing every 10 years or so.
• Where's the best place to site solar panels?
Cornwall and along the south coast provide the best locations but anywhere that solar panels can be orientated between the south-east to south-west is good.
• What about a good location on the farm?
Installing PV panels on a south-facing barn roof is ideal for energy capture but they can also be mounted in ground-mounted frames in arrays around field margins - as long as they are not shadowed by hedges or trees - or across whole fields.
• Is a roof installation best?
It's likely to be a little more expensive than a ground array but there are advantages - the panels are located out of harm's way, for one thing, and will have less visual impact.
• Are some buildings better suited than others?
They clearly need to be strong enough to take the weight of the installation. Also, given the long service life of PV panels, buildings should have a lifetime at least as long as the panels.
• What about the building's use; does that matter?
Only to the extent that it makes sense to install panels on buildings that consume the most electricity - such as grainstores and intensive pig and poultry sheds and vegetable packhouses. Glasshouses may also be suitable if the panels can be mounted over storage areas or corridors, etc.
• Is planning permission needed?
Best check with the local planning authority. The government's plan is that renewable energy micro-generation equipment installed on commercial buildings will be covered by Permitted Development rights (as is the case for most domestic installations) but this plan is still at the consultation stage.
• Is there any limit to the size of a PV panel installation?
Apart from the size of the roof and the cost of installation, the only limiting factor is the 5mW ceiling of the FiT scheme.
• How does the scheme work?
The Government's Feed-in Tariff is worth from 29p to 41p per kilowatt-hour (p/kWh) depending on the scale of the installation. Systems from 100kW to 5MW generating capacity attract the lowest figures, systems of less than 4kW earn the highest rates.
• Is it a fixed rate or dependent on markets?
The tariffs for new entrants have been set for the first two years; from April 2012 they start to reduce progressively in anticipation of falling capital costs for PV equipment. However, once you've signed up, the tariffs are index-linked to keep up with inflation and guaranteed for the next 25 years.
• Who pays the tariff?
Your electricity supplier makes the payments based on meter readings of the amount of power generated.
• Does the Feed-in Tariff pay enough to get a decent return?
Not on its own, but the electricity generated can be consumed on site to reduce what you have to buy in. Also, any surplus can be sold for distribution via the national grid, being purchased by your electricity supplier who will have an obligation to supply power from renewable sources.
• What's a typical return on the investment?
The NFU calculates 8-12%. A typical small system in the 4-10kW class would qualify for a Feed-in Tariff payment of 36.1p/kWh up to April 2012, so a 9.9kWh installation, likely to cost £35,000-40,000, could earn £3300-3800 from the tariff, with savings in purchased electricity and sales of any surplus coming on top.
A £300,000-350,000 scheme of 99kWh capacity would qualify for a FiT rate of 31.4p/kWh and generate an income of £30,000-35,000 a year before any surplus sales.
• Do all solar panel systems qualify?
Equipment and installers must be approved if the scheme is to qualify for Feed-in Tariff payments. The scheme itself will be accredited by OFGEM, the electricity industry regulator, through its Renewable & CHP Register.
• Are there different ways of buying a system?
Lease purchase schemes are being introduced with payments made over six or seven years qualifying as operating expenditure.
• What about renting my roof or some land?
Solar development companies like Ecotricity and INRG Solar are starting to offer contracts for renting land or roof space for electricity generation and they take care of the capital investment involved and ongoing maintenance costs. Negotiating to acquire ownership of the installation at the end of the 25-year Feed-in Tariff period would provide ongoing electricity cost savings and sales income from a system that could have a life of 50 years or more.
• Are the payments attractive?
This is an immature market, so annual lease payments being quoted at present are pretty variable, notes the NFU. Ground rents for a field array range from just £750 to more than £2500/ha for the 25-year lifetime of the Feed-in Tariff. As far as buildings are concerned, developers will be most interested in larger roof areas - say 700 to 2200sq m capable of supporting a 100-300kW capacity installation.
• How do I get started?
The NFU recommends doing a detailed energy audit of the farm. That will show the savings you can make by using home-generated power instead of of bought-in supplies as well the potential income from sales of any surplus. It will also help you decide on the scale of your solar panel installation. Talk to your professional advisers before entering negotiations, too.
full article
Sunday 17 October 2010
Solar installation provides high tech lab, energy savings
The TSTC Electronics Center (EEC) got an added boost of power from a new solar cell installation that began in August.
The installation features flat photovoltaic (PV) panels, a solar tracking system and Solyndra solar modules. The Solyndra modules are rows of glass tubes with thin PV film in them that are designed to capture sunlight across 360 degrees, including light that reflects from the white roof below the cells. This removes the arduous task of rotating the older-style solar panels and saves more energy overall.
The solar cells were installed as part of a grant from the State Energy Conservation Office. Several types of solar cells were installed by professionals with the help of TSTC Solar Technology students. Once it's fully installed, the total system will offset the electricity costs for the EEC, as well as serve as a solar lab for TSTC students.
Solar Technology Department Chair Sid Bolfing said the variety and scope of the solar power systems are remarkable, and the added advantage of reducing energy costs and benefiting his students is unique to TSTC.
"We now have a fantastic solar lab on the roof of the EEC, and we're already saving money on our power bill," Bolfing said. "I doubt there is another school in Texas that has a system comparable to this installation. It is a tremendous student learning tool."
Also included in the grant will be another solar installation on the roof of the Kultgen Automotive Center that will be completed by the end of the year.
full article
The installation features flat photovoltaic (PV) panels, a solar tracking system and Solyndra solar modules. The Solyndra modules are rows of glass tubes with thin PV film in them that are designed to capture sunlight across 360 degrees, including light that reflects from the white roof below the cells. This removes the arduous task of rotating the older-style solar panels and saves more energy overall.
The solar cells were installed as part of a grant from the State Energy Conservation Office. Several types of solar cells were installed by professionals with the help of TSTC Solar Technology students. Once it's fully installed, the total system will offset the electricity costs for the EEC, as well as serve as a solar lab for TSTC students.
Solar Technology Department Chair Sid Bolfing said the variety and scope of the solar power systems are remarkable, and the added advantage of reducing energy costs and benefiting his students is unique to TSTC.
"We now have a fantastic solar lab on the roof of the EEC, and we're already saving money on our power bill," Bolfing said. "I doubt there is another school in Texas that has a system comparable to this installation. It is a tremendous student learning tool."
Also included in the grant will be another solar installation on the roof of the Kultgen Automotive Center that will be completed by the end of the year.
full article
Insulation program delivers on energy savings
IT MAY be one of the worst-run government programs in memory, but Kevin Rudd's botched insulation scheme did what it was designed to do.
Figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator show that gas demand in Victorian homes held steady during the 2010 winter, and energy economists believe a driving factor was the extra 279,344 homes insulated using taxpayer dollars.
In Victoria, where most homes are heated with gas, demand normally increases each year by 1-2 per cent.
Advertisement: Story continues below
But when energy economists compared this winter with last winter, adjusting figures for the weather differences, they found virtually no change in the amount of gas used.
''We did see a much lower growth than we've observed historically,'' said Tony O'Dwyer, principal economist with consultants National Institute of Economic and Industry Research, which forecasts and analyses Victorian energy demand for the market operator.
Estimating the energy saved was difficult and there was some uncertainty, said Mr O'Dwyer, because of the program's reported problems, including homes not receiving insulation and others having it incorrectly fitted. But Mr O'Dwyer estimates Victorians saved 1 to 1.5 petajoules of energy. ''That's quite a lot,'' he said.
That figure assumes a 25 per cent saving in heating use and it has been revised downwards to take into account rorting and fraud. This amounts to about 3 per cent of residential gas consumption during the past winter.
Mr O'Dwyer said that while the program had an impact, it was never going to be large in Victoria compared with other states because about 87 per cent of households already had insulation.
In the 2009 winter, over June, July and August, Victorians used 54.9 petajoules of gas. This winter the figure was almost the same: 55.1 petajoules, normalised to take into account the cold winter.
Other, less significant, factors were also driving gas use down, said Mr O'Dwyer, including a drop in the use of gas to heat hot water (due to shorter showers, more efficient shower heads and more solar hot-water heaters), more efficient heating appliances, and standards to make new homes more energy-wise.
full article
Figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator show that gas demand in Victorian homes held steady during the 2010 winter, and energy economists believe a driving factor was the extra 279,344 homes insulated using taxpayer dollars.
In Victoria, where most homes are heated with gas, demand normally increases each year by 1-2 per cent.
Advertisement: Story continues below
But when energy economists compared this winter with last winter, adjusting figures for the weather differences, they found virtually no change in the amount of gas used.
''We did see a much lower growth than we've observed historically,'' said Tony O'Dwyer, principal economist with consultants National Institute of Economic and Industry Research, which forecasts and analyses Victorian energy demand for the market operator.
Estimating the energy saved was difficult and there was some uncertainty, said Mr O'Dwyer, because of the program's reported problems, including homes not receiving insulation and others having it incorrectly fitted. But Mr O'Dwyer estimates Victorians saved 1 to 1.5 petajoules of energy. ''That's quite a lot,'' he said.
That figure assumes a 25 per cent saving in heating use and it has been revised downwards to take into account rorting and fraud. This amounts to about 3 per cent of residential gas consumption during the past winter.
Mr O'Dwyer said that while the program had an impact, it was never going to be large in Victoria compared with other states because about 87 per cent of households already had insulation.
In the 2009 winter, over June, July and August, Victorians used 54.9 petajoules of gas. This winter the figure was almost the same: 55.1 petajoules, normalised to take into account the cold winter.
Other, less significant, factors were also driving gas use down, said Mr O'Dwyer, including a drop in the use of gas to heat hot water (due to shorter showers, more efficient shower heads and more solar hot-water heaters), more efficient heating appliances, and standards to make new homes more energy-wise.
full article
4 Merritt retailers team up with BC Hydro for energy efficiency
BC Hydro has partnered with four Merritt retailers, as well as 400 others B.C., to provide increased rebates and incentives for the purchase of energy-efficient products.
The Crown corporation announced last week that the partnership with Loblaws (Extra Foods), Canadian Tire, Cooper’s Foods, and Walmart, will provide customers with savings on products like TVs, lighting, and appliances. Hydro is using the partnership to commemorate Power Smart month.
“Customers can receive instant in-store discounts ranging from $3 to $12 off of the price of select specialty ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent light bulbs and fixtures,” said Hydro spokesperson Simi Heer in a press release Friday.
“Some retailers are also offering instant rebates ranging from $80 to $600 on select ENERGY STAR televisions.”
Hydro will feature lighting, electronics and appliance “deals of the week” in the Power Smart section of the BC Hydro website all month long. The site will be updated regularly with new offers.
Additionally for Power Smart month, Hydro will give away gift cards for those who follow the power producer on its Twitter and Facebook pages. Hydro says this is a new initiative to reach more customers through the increasingly popular social media outlets.
BC Hydro also offers mail-in rebates on select ENERGY STAR refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and clothes washers. Details on mail-in rebates and coupons for seasonal LEDs, drying racks and energy saving kits can be found at powersmart.ca.
As a bonus during October, BC Hydro will offer free (working) freezer removal in addition to the year-round Fridge Buy Back program that removes spare energy-guzzling fridges. Customers can call 604-881-4357 or 1-866-516-4357 if outside the Lower Mainland.
Power Smart month is aimed at educating customers on the benefits and ease of conservation during the winter months.
full article
The Crown corporation announced last week that the partnership with Loblaws (Extra Foods), Canadian Tire, Cooper’s Foods, and Walmart, will provide customers with savings on products like TVs, lighting, and appliances. Hydro is using the partnership to commemorate Power Smart month.
“Customers can receive instant in-store discounts ranging from $3 to $12 off of the price of select specialty ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent light bulbs and fixtures,” said Hydro spokesperson Simi Heer in a press release Friday.
“Some retailers are also offering instant rebates ranging from $80 to $600 on select ENERGY STAR televisions.”
Hydro will feature lighting, electronics and appliance “deals of the week” in the Power Smart section of the BC Hydro website all month long. The site will be updated regularly with new offers.
Additionally for Power Smart month, Hydro will give away gift cards for those who follow the power producer on its Twitter and Facebook pages. Hydro says this is a new initiative to reach more customers through the increasingly popular social media outlets.
BC Hydro also offers mail-in rebates on select ENERGY STAR refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and clothes washers. Details on mail-in rebates and coupons for seasonal LEDs, drying racks and energy saving kits can be found at powersmart.ca.
As a bonus during October, BC Hydro will offer free (working) freezer removal in addition to the year-round Fridge Buy Back program that removes spare energy-guzzling fridges. Customers can call 604-881-4357 or 1-866-516-4357 if outside the Lower Mainland.
Power Smart month is aimed at educating customers on the benefits and ease of conservation during the winter months.
full article
Sunday 10 January 2010
G Rated Boilers
A government scrappage scheme that gives people £400 off on the price of a new boiler has been launched today.
Up to 125,000 households in England could benefit from the £50million scheme, which was announced in the pre-budget report as an incentive to install greener heating.
Energy firms including British Gas and NPower have already pledged to match the payment, creating households a £800 discount on new boilers.
According to the government, a new boiler could cut a family's heating bills by about £235 a year.
In total, the scheme would cut as much carbon as taking 45,000 cars off the road and would help secure about 250,000 jobs of boiler makers and installers, the government said.
To qualify, a household must have a working boiler of the lowest efficiency G rating.
There are about 3.5million homes in England with such boilers, although the scheme is only open to the first 125,000 who apply.
The old devices must be replaced with top efficiency A-rated boilers or renewable heating systems like biomass boilers or heat pumps.
The price of a new boiler is about £2,500, most of which would still be paid by the householder.
Only home owners and landlords who privately rent out homes qualify.
The scheme does not apply to Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales, as their devolved authorities have to decide whether to run it.
Is my boiler G-rated?
The Energy Saving Trust said a boiler is likely to be G rated if:
* If it has a permanent pilot light;
* If it is gas fired and over 15 years old; or
* If it is oil fired and over 25 years old.
Householders can also check the Energy Saving Trust's scrappage scheme guide for more information.
How do I apply?
Once you have established that you qualify:
1. Get several quotes for the installation of a new boiler. Suppliers must visit your home for this and give a proper quote on paper.
2. Apply to the Energy Saving Trust (EST) with your name, address, details of your old boiler, the type of new boiler you want, quote prices, supplier details and confirmation that the installer visited your home.
3. You will then recieve a cashback voucher from the EST. Wait until you get this voucher before you start the installation, or you will lose the money.
4. Pay the installer in full.
5. Send the invoice and voucher to the EST, who will then refund you £400.
full article
Up to 125,000 households in England could benefit from the £50million scheme, which was announced in the pre-budget report as an incentive to install greener heating.
Energy firms including British Gas and NPower have already pledged to match the payment, creating households a £800 discount on new boilers.
According to the government, a new boiler could cut a family's heating bills by about £235 a year.
In total, the scheme would cut as much carbon as taking 45,000 cars off the road and would help secure about 250,000 jobs of boiler makers and installers, the government said.
To qualify, a household must have a working boiler of the lowest efficiency G rating.
There are about 3.5million homes in England with such boilers, although the scheme is only open to the first 125,000 who apply.
The old devices must be replaced with top efficiency A-rated boilers or renewable heating systems like biomass boilers or heat pumps.
The price of a new boiler is about £2,500, most of which would still be paid by the householder.
Only home owners and landlords who privately rent out homes qualify.
The scheme does not apply to Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales, as their devolved authorities have to decide whether to run it.
Is my boiler G-rated?
The Energy Saving Trust said a boiler is likely to be G rated if:
* If it has a permanent pilot light;
* If it is gas fired and over 15 years old; or
* If it is oil fired and over 25 years old.
Householders can also check the Energy Saving Trust's scrappage scheme guide for more information.
How do I apply?
Once you have established that you qualify:
1. Get several quotes for the installation of a new boiler. Suppliers must visit your home for this and give a proper quote on paper.
2. Apply to the Energy Saving Trust (EST) with your name, address, details of your old boiler, the type of new boiler you want, quote prices, supplier details and confirmation that the installer visited your home.
3. You will then recieve a cashback voucher from the EST. Wait until you get this voucher before you start the installation, or you will lose the money.
4. Pay the installer in full.
5. Send the invoice and voucher to the EST, who will then refund you £400.
full article
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
