Renewables have seen such dramatic price falls in the past few years that they are threatening to upset the world as we know it and usher in an almost unprecedented boom in the spread of cheap, clean, home-produced energy.
Solar will be the cheapest form of power in many countries within just a few years. In places such as California and Italy it has already reached so-called "grid parity". Onshore wind, on a piece of land not constrained by years of planning delays, is already the cheapest form of energy on earth. These are not wild claims – those are figures from General Electric, Citibank and others.
Solar PV is a case in point. Three years ago firms were paying about €3,600 per installed kilowatt of solar capacity on barn roofs in Germany. Today it can be done for just over €1,000 – a staggering 70% fall.
Thanks to a surge in global production to 60 gWp annually, (enough to supply British households – not offices or factories – with all their electricity) solar power has dropped dramatically in price. But there is more to come. Cambridge IP, a global innovation and intellectual property firm, says there is a surge of interest and R&D into two new forms of solar power which are likely to be available commercially by the end of this decade.
Newly built solar plants are already considerably cheaper than new nuclear plants per kilowatt hour of electricity produced and because of this solar energy can and will compete head on with conventional energy.
True, there is an ongoing cost from the German government's previous support for solar, but is much lower than the subsidies pumped by the western world into nuclear, coal, oil and gas over the past decades.
Solar is starting to pay its subsidy back. Germany now has more than 30 gigaWatt peak (gWp) of solar plants installed, such that on almost all days in the spring, summer and autumn, solar energy surges into the grid at a time when demand is at is strongest (air conditioning etc) and when spot market energy prices are at their highest.
This peak price is being forced down by solar, helping to reduce wholesale prices. The big energy companies hate this because this peak is where they make their money. Solar in Germany is almost down to wholesale prices – in sunnier countries it already is.
Germany (Europe's biggest economy) now gets 25% of its electricity from renewables – a proportion that is increasing by the month. This is twice the level of the UK, although, interestingly, similar to that of Scotland on its own. Germany is also leading on figuring out how to overcome the problems of "intermittency" by storing renewable energy.
Urban Energy
We are an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economical and environmentally sound green energy solutions for homes and businesses in the South West.
We only install products that lead the way within the renewable energy industry and that are renowned for their high quality and ecologically sound production. This reflects our own high standards and quality assurance.
We understand that introducing a renewable energy system i.e solar panels, to either your home or business is an investment that lasts for many years. With our in-house installation team and electrical division, it is our promise to you the customer, that your satisfaction and peace of mind throughout this period is our number one priority.
The Granary, Phillips Lane, Stratford-sub-Castle, Salisbury SP1 3YR
Tel: 0800 2321624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Showing posts with label solar energy system. Show all posts
Showing posts with label solar energy system. Show all posts
Monday, 3 June 2013
Sunday, 16 October 2011
Solar heating 'can provide over half of households' hot water'
Solar thermal systems can provide over half of households' hot
water needs, according to the largest ever field trial of the green energy devices.
Residential payment levels under the government's £860m renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme, announced in March, are not due to be announced until 2012
Between 1 August and 9 October this year, 707 people took out new £300 grants for solar thermal systems.
The government has put aside £15m for the renewable heat premium payment (RHPP) scheme, which runs until March 2012 offering grants for a range of green heating technologies including groundsource heat pumps and biomass boilers. The separate RHI payments, similar to those made to owners of solar panels and wind turbines under the feed in tariffs for green electricity generation, will launch after the RHPP.
Solar water heating systems work by using the sun's energy to heat water or anti-freeze in collectors on the roof of a building. The heated water or anti-freeze is then usually pumped to a hot-water cylinder to be stored until the hot water is needed.
Overall, the trust said it was impressed by how well solar thermal systems were working in the UK. The field study found the systems provided a median of 39% of households' hot water needs, rising to 60% for the best and plummeting to 9% for the worst-installed one. The trust had previously believed around 35-40% would be a typical figure, based on laboratory tests.
Jaryn Bradford, senior technical manager for the Energy Saving Trust, and author of the report, said: "This is a technology that works, and works well in the UK." He said the main impact on a system's performance was how well insulated the home's hot water tank and pipes were.
The market for solar water heating in the UK has continued to grow despite the economic climate – up 18.1% in 2010, compared with 13.1% for Europe overall, though the trust said that was largely because the UK was starting from such a low baseline. There are an estimated 140,000 homes with solar water heating in the UK.
This pioneering research demonstrates that households with solar hot water generators really can benefit, provided their generator has been correctly installed and they understand how to make the most of it. Solar thermal panels are a fantastic, cost effective way for the UK to reduce the demand on imported energy whilst cutting bills and carbon emissions.
Friends of the Earth's energy campaigner, Tony Bosworth, said: "Unless we end the nation's dependency on increasingly expensive fossil fuels, homes and businesses will continue to pay the price through soaring power bills. The government's renewable heat incentive can't be delayed any longer – ministers must provide households with real cash incentives to help families switch to clean energy to heat their homes."
Urban Energy
Urban Energy are delighted that nearly half the population would like to install renewable energy technologies; what worries us is the lack of awareness surrounding it. To bridge the Green Gap it’s essential we continue to educate consumers and break down some of the myths surrounding the Green Deal, energy efficiency and microgeneration.
Urban Energy has earned a reputation as the south’s leading renewable energy specialist. This has been achieved by ensuring that from the initial point of client contact we offer 1st class customer service and care.
We understand that introducing a renewable energy system to either your home or business is an investment that lasts for many years. With our in-house electrical and plumbing division it is our promise to you the customer that your satisfaction and peace of mind throughout this period is our number one priority.
For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Residential payment levels under the government's £860m renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme, announced in March, are not due to be announced until 2012
Between 1 August and 9 October this year, 707 people took out new £300 grants for solar thermal systems.
The government has put aside £15m for the renewable heat premium payment (RHPP) scheme, which runs until March 2012 offering grants for a range of green heating technologies including groundsource heat pumps and biomass boilers. The separate RHI payments, similar to those made to owners of solar panels and wind turbines under the feed in tariffs for green electricity generation, will launch after the RHPP.
Solar water heating systems work by using the sun's energy to heat water or anti-freeze in collectors on the roof of a building. The heated water or anti-freeze is then usually pumped to a hot-water cylinder to be stored until the hot water is needed.
Overall, the trust said it was impressed by how well solar thermal systems were working in the UK. The field study found the systems provided a median of 39% of households' hot water needs, rising to 60% for the best and plummeting to 9% for the worst-installed one. The trust had previously believed around 35-40% would be a typical figure, based on laboratory tests.
Jaryn Bradford, senior technical manager for the Energy Saving Trust, and author of the report, said: "This is a technology that works, and works well in the UK." He said the main impact on a system's performance was how well insulated the home's hot water tank and pipes were.
The market for solar water heating in the UK has continued to grow despite the economic climate – up 18.1% in 2010, compared with 13.1% for Europe overall, though the trust said that was largely because the UK was starting from such a low baseline. There are an estimated 140,000 homes with solar water heating in the UK.
This pioneering research demonstrates that households with solar hot water generators really can benefit, provided their generator has been correctly installed and they understand how to make the most of it. Solar thermal panels are a fantastic, cost effective way for the UK to reduce the demand on imported energy whilst cutting bills and carbon emissions.
Friends of the Earth's energy campaigner, Tony Bosworth, said: "Unless we end the nation's dependency on increasingly expensive fossil fuels, homes and businesses will continue to pay the price through soaring power bills. The government's renewable heat incentive can't be delayed any longer – ministers must provide households with real cash incentives to help families switch to clean energy to heat their homes."
Urban Energy
Urban Energy are delighted that nearly half the population would like to install renewable energy technologies; what worries us is the lack of awareness surrounding it. To bridge the Green Gap it’s essential we continue to educate consumers and break down some of the myths surrounding the Green Deal, energy efficiency and microgeneration.
Urban Energy has earned a reputation as the south’s leading renewable energy specialist. This has been achieved by ensuring that from the initial point of client contact we offer 1st class customer service and care.
We only
install products that lead the way within the renewable energy industry
and that are renowned for their high quality and ecologically sound
production. This reflects our own high standards and quality assurance.
We understand that introducing a renewable energy system to either your home or business is an investment that lasts for many years. With our in-house electrical and plumbing division it is our promise to you the customer that your satisfaction and peace of mind throughout this period is our number one priority.
For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
Tuesday, 2 March 2010
Green Loans Q&A: How does Pay As You Save (PAYS) finance work?
Q). When can I apply for a loan to improve the energy efficiency of my home?
A). Pay As You Save green finance, with repayments linked to the property, will require primary legislation and we'd expect them to be in available by 2012.
Q). What is the most I can borrow?
A). Our current measures are tackling the easy-to-achieve measures, like loft insulation, so the point of making green finance available in the future is to remove the upfront costs of relatively expensive improvements. The cost to each household will be different depending on which measures they install, which will in turn depend on the type of property but the average upgrade could be about £8,000-£10,000.
Q). What measures are eligible for funding?
A). By an eco-upgrade we mean the installation of a set of measures that goes significantly beyond basic insulation to include more expensive improvements such as solid wall insulation or a form of renewable energy generation. Small-scale renewable electricity (photovoltaic solar electrical panels) and heat technologies (solar thermal panels) will also be eligible for the additional incentive provided by the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) from April this year and April 2011 respectively.
Q). You say my combined payments for the loan and my energy bills, will be lower than my old energy bills? Can you give me an example?
A). If you spent £4,200 installing a typical solar thermal hot water system on the roof of a 3-bed semi, you would expect to get over £500 a year from savings on your energy bill and income from the Renewable Heat Incentive. If you chose a Pay-As-You-Save (PAYS) loan over 25 years to cover the installation costs, you would repay about £330 a year. So even after making your PAYS repayment you would be about £170 a year better off.
Q). What happens when I move home?
A). On average people move house every 12 years, which may not be long enough a period for the bill reductions to cover the upfront costs. So the point of attaching PAYS finance to the property is that householders would only be responsible for the repayments while benefiting from the measures. When you move house, responsibility for repayments would pass to the new owner.
Q). Won't that mean my house is less desirable to potential buyers?
A). No - anyone buying a property with repayments attached to it would benefit themselves from the moment they move in from lower energy bills than they otherwise would have been. Sellers would be able to make a virtue of improvements through the advice contained in their Energy Performance Certificate.
Q). I rent my home. How can you make my landlord increase the energy efficiency of my home.
A). Energy suppliers have obligations now to improve the energy efficiency of all homes, and today we've said we'll extend that obligation beyond 2012. For the private rented sector, we've said for the first time today that we'll be consulting on regulation to require standard insulation measures (loft and cavity insulation) to be a condition of renting out a property.
Reference: Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
URBAN ENERGY
Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.
Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes, PAYS loans, FiT's, RHI's and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.
Urban Energy employ the very best engineers in this field, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out this task, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association.
For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
A). Pay As You Save green finance, with repayments linked to the property, will require primary legislation and we'd expect them to be in available by 2012.
Q). What is the most I can borrow?
A). Our current measures are tackling the easy-to-achieve measures, like loft insulation, so the point of making green finance available in the future is to remove the upfront costs of relatively expensive improvements. The cost to each household will be different depending on which measures they install, which will in turn depend on the type of property but the average upgrade could be about £8,000-£10,000.
Q). What measures are eligible for funding?
A). By an eco-upgrade we mean the installation of a set of measures that goes significantly beyond basic insulation to include more expensive improvements such as solid wall insulation or a form of renewable energy generation. Small-scale renewable electricity (photovoltaic solar electrical panels) and heat technologies (solar thermal panels) will also be eligible for the additional incentive provided by the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) and Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) from April this year and April 2011 respectively.
Q). You say my combined payments for the loan and my energy bills, will be lower than my old energy bills? Can you give me an example?
A). If you spent £4,200 installing a typical solar thermal hot water system on the roof of a 3-bed semi, you would expect to get over £500 a year from savings on your energy bill and income from the Renewable Heat Incentive. If you chose a Pay-As-You-Save (PAYS) loan over 25 years to cover the installation costs, you would repay about £330 a year. So even after making your PAYS repayment you would be about £170 a year better off.
Q). What happens when I move home?
A). On average people move house every 12 years, which may not be long enough a period for the bill reductions to cover the upfront costs. So the point of attaching PAYS finance to the property is that householders would only be responsible for the repayments while benefiting from the measures. When you move house, responsibility for repayments would pass to the new owner.
Q). Won't that mean my house is less desirable to potential buyers?
A). No - anyone buying a property with repayments attached to it would benefit themselves from the moment they move in from lower energy bills than they otherwise would have been. Sellers would be able to make a virtue of improvements through the advice contained in their Energy Performance Certificate.
Q). I rent my home. How can you make my landlord increase the energy efficiency of my home.
A). Energy suppliers have obligations now to improve the energy efficiency of all homes, and today we've said we'll extend that obligation beyond 2012. For the private rented sector, we've said for the first time today that we'll be consulting on regulation to require standard insulation measures (loft and cavity insulation) to be a condition of renting out a property.
Reference: Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
URBAN ENERGY
Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.
Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes, PAYS loans, FiT's, RHI's and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.
Urban Energy employ the very best engineers in this field, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out this task, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association.
For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Solar Thermal (Hot Water) Systems
Solar thermal (hot water) systems can be extremely efficient, reducing costs and energy consumption. For a solar system to work, all they need is daylight as they can collect both direct radiation, direct sunlight on clear days, and diffused radiation, light which is present on cloudy days.
Both flat plate collectors and evacuated tube collectors have selective and non selective surfaces. In terms of which collector has best efficiency, it is dependant on your domestic use. At low temperatures the efficiency for all the collectors is very similar, but as temperatures increase all the collectors show a slight reduction in efficiency. For lowest temperatures an unglazed non-selective surface flat plate collector can be seen as most effective, hence they are commonly used to heat swimming pools, however for highest temperatures there is a very marginal difference between selective surface evacuated tubes and selective surfaces flat plate collectors, with the former being the most efficient.
In terms of costs you would expect to save between 50 -70% on your annual heating costs, as the more hot water used the greater the saving. For a family of four, a well designed solar water heating system should contribute around 1,500 kW-h and 2,000 kW-h, which will be equivalent to 50 to 65% of the household’s water heating energy needs.
Reference: The Solar Trade Association
Urban Energy
Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings.
We can provide systems eligible for grants of between 50% up to 100% through arrangements in place with our partners.
0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.
For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
Both flat plate collectors and evacuated tube collectors have selective and non selective surfaces. In terms of which collector has best efficiency, it is dependant on your domestic use. At low temperatures the efficiency for all the collectors is very similar, but as temperatures increase all the collectors show a slight reduction in efficiency. For lowest temperatures an unglazed non-selective surface flat plate collector can be seen as most effective, hence they are commonly used to heat swimming pools, however for highest temperatures there is a very marginal difference between selective surface evacuated tubes and selective surfaces flat plate collectors, with the former being the most efficient.
In terms of costs you would expect to save between 50 -70% on your annual heating costs, as the more hot water used the greater the saving. For a family of four, a well designed solar water heating system should contribute around 1,500 kW-h and 2,000 kW-h, which will be equivalent to 50 to 65% of the household’s water heating energy needs.
Reference: The Solar Trade Association
Urban Energy
Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings.
We can provide systems eligible for grants of between 50% up to 100% through arrangements in place with our partners.
0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.
For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
Greening Britain's Energy Supply
A fortnight ago Ed Miliband, the Climate Secretary, confirmed generous payments for home solar panel and wind turbine systems.
This scheme could transform Britain's poor record on renewable power. At present only 5 per cent of UK power comes from renewable sources, while 2 per cent of energy customers are on "green" tariffs. So will this initiative lead to low-carbon power for the people – and what's in it for you?
First, don't bother generating your own electricity or buying a "green" tariff until you have stopped energy leaking from your home; it's like pumping fuel into a car without fixing a hole in the petrol tank. Put plastic strips round draughty windows and reflective paper behind radiators, lag lofts to 27centimetres and fit eco-lightbulbs in every socket.
From April, a "Feed in Tariff" will guarantee payments to homes with solar panels and other micro-generation. A "well-sited" 2.5kWh PV solar scheme, the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) says, should earn £900 a year and £140 in energy savings. And the financial case for going solar may improve if, as expected, banks offer renewable power loans later this year.
Reference: The Independent
URBAN ENERGY
Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.
Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.
0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.
For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
This scheme could transform Britain's poor record on renewable power. At present only 5 per cent of UK power comes from renewable sources, while 2 per cent of energy customers are on "green" tariffs. So will this initiative lead to low-carbon power for the people – and what's in it for you?
First, don't bother generating your own electricity or buying a "green" tariff until you have stopped energy leaking from your home; it's like pumping fuel into a car without fixing a hole in the petrol tank. Put plastic strips round draughty windows and reflective paper behind radiators, lag lofts to 27centimetres and fit eco-lightbulbs in every socket.
From April, a "Feed in Tariff" will guarantee payments to homes with solar panels and other micro-generation. A "well-sited" 2.5kWh PV solar scheme, the Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) says, should earn £900 a year and £140 in energy savings. And the financial case for going solar may improve if, as expected, banks offer renewable power loans later this year.
Reference: The Independent
URBAN ENERGY
Our mission: “To provide and install, sustainable, world class, clean energy products with the highest level of service and care”.
Urban Energy is an innovative organisation specialising in the financing, design and installation of economic and environmentally sound solar powered energy systems for commercial property (private and public) and domestic dwellings. Our expertise in the field of Government sponsored funding programmes and solar power products will provide individuals and organisations with an excellent opportunity to overcome capital cost barriers, save money on energy bills, increase profit margins, increase the value of their property and reduce their carbon footprint.
0% interest instalment payment program available for domestic solar thermal and photovoltaic systems.
For further information about Urban Energy products and services:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Employment in Renewable Energy Sector Could Rise to 500,000!
Energy minister David Kidney has claimed that the Renewable Energy Strategy, combined with a growing market for renewable energy globally, could increase UK employment in the renewables sector by up to a further 500,000 people by 2020.
The statement was made in the House of Commons earlier this month when Mr Kidney was asked to provide details of how many people have been employed in the renewable sector since 2003 and what recent assessment he has made of the potential for the creation of new jobs.
Mr Kidney replied that although there will be some displacement as the UK restructures its economy, the Renewable Energy Strategy would create significant job opportunities. He estimated that in 2007/08 up to 390,000 people were employed in the sector and that this could increase by up to a further 500,000 people by 2020.
URBAN ENERGY
Urban Energy employ the very best engineers, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out installation of solar energy system, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association. Urban Energy are always looking to employ the best quality MCS accredited installation engineers, for further information please contact Urban Energy:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
The statement was made in the House of Commons earlier this month when Mr Kidney was asked to provide details of how many people have been employed in the renewable sector since 2003 and what recent assessment he has made of the potential for the creation of new jobs.
Mr Kidney replied that although there will be some displacement as the UK restructures its economy, the Renewable Energy Strategy would create significant job opportunities. He estimated that in 2007/08 up to 390,000 people were employed in the sector and that this could increase by up to a further 500,000 people by 2020.
URBAN ENERGY
Urban Energy employ the very best engineers, all of which are fully qualified, certified and Government approved to carry out installation of solar energy system, complying with strict guidelines and are members of the Solar Trade Association. Urban Energy are always looking to employ the best quality MCS accredited installation engineers, for further information please contact Urban Energy:
Call: 0800 232 1624
Email: info@urbanenergy.org.uk
Website: http://www.urbanenergy.org.uk/
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