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What happens to the feed-in tariff when you sell your house
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 3 July 2012 at 9:08 am
I recently spoke to someone who installed solar PV when the feed-in tariff rate was 43p per kWh for small systems. They had been told by an EDF customer service person that when they sold their house, the new owner would have a new contract with EDF and wouldn't be eligible for the same tariff level…
SMEs can participate in the Green Deal on their own terms with launch of new organisation
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 2 July 2012 at 8:53 am
What's in it for SMEs? is a regular lament about the Green Deal. Businesses are concerned that they will be given small pickings around the edges, and their margins will be squeezed to breaking point, and quality will fly out the window. Well all this doom mongering may not come to pass, as a gro…
Solar thermal and other renewable technologies: what our readers say
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26 June 2012 at 12:05 pm
This month the stories from readers that I like best all talk about solar thermal in some way or another. During the feed-in tariff frenzy it somehow became the poor relation to solar PV, whereas before FiTs it was the better seller. What comes over loud and clear below is that once you've got solar…
The UK's power-hungry secrets are revealed
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26 June 2012 at 9:16 am
Two really can live as cheaply as one when it comes to electricity bills. New research published today by the Energy Saving Trust found that one person households use as much, and sometimes more, energy as typical families on particular appliances. These include cooking and laundry. Powering the …
Time for an Energy Bill Revolution
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 25 June 2012 at 10:53 am
Energy bills take up a bigger and bigger proportion household income. They have risen by 140% in eight years, and recently British Gas's boss promised that they will be continuing on their upward trajectory. High energy bills come with all sorts of associated problems, and this is why we've jo…
Wattson Solar Plus brings electricity use and generation to life
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 25 June 2012 at 9:36 am
Earlier this year I wrote about how the Wattson* Solar Plus energy monitor helps me make the most of my solar generated electricity by letting me know when I'm generating more electricity than I'm using. I just have to look over, see if it's glowing green, and if so I turn on the washing machine. Re…
Eco guest house is first business in Wales to benefit from RHI
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 20 June 2012 at 10:17 am
A biomass boiler, solar PV and solar thermal are all the result of a Welsh guest house's belief that you should be able to enjoy a holiday without damaging the environment. Installation of the boiler means the guest house has become the first business in Wales to benefit from the Renewable Heat Ince…
Financial help is available for wood burning boilers
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 15 June 2012 at 10:04 am
Q: Could you point us in the right direction in regards to having an external wood burning boiler installed (for heat and hot water), and would it be covered under a FIT scheme like our solar PV system? A: Interest in wood burning boilers - also known as biomass boilers - is on the increase…
Permitted development rules for non-domestic solar are open to interpretation
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 12 June 2012 at 3:15 pm
Q: The wording of the permitted development legislation for non-domestic solar installations 2012, No 748, paragraph 43. A1 (c ) says that development is not permitted if: the solar PV or solar thermal equipment would be installed on a roof and within 1m of the external edge of that roof. It's not …
45 measures, including renewables, eligible for Green Deal from launch
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 11 June 2012 at 6:14 pm
**For the most up-to-date information about the Green Deal, please see our dedicated Green Deal information page. Renewable energy technologies will be included in the Green Deal it was announced today. While they are unlikely to meet the Golden Rule (the cost of installation can be pai…
My electricity meter is running backwards: who is responsible?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 6 June 2012 at 10:05 am
Q: My solar PV clients are seeing their electricity meters running backward now that the days are longer, and they are unsure how they should treat this with their electricity supplier now that they have become aware. My understanding is that the supplier remains responsible for accurately m…
Monitor and check: one of the key lessons for the Green Deal
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 31 May 2012 at 11:49 am
Green Deal measures must be checked and monitored after installation to ensure that the quality is good and they are achieving the expected levels of performance. Speaking at yesterday's FLASH Green Deal Conference, organised by the Institute of Sustainability, Paul Ruyssevelt of the Technology S…
Quit whingeing and make the Green Deal work!
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 31 May 2012 at 9:37 am
OK, the words in the headline are mine but, as Peter Rickaby of energy and environmental consultants Rickaby Thompson pointed out yesterday, the Green Deal is "the only game in town. "It's probably not perfect," he said. "It will take us a while to get it right; and it's up to us to make it happe…
The impact of the new feed-in tariff rates for small scale solar PV
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 24 May 2012 at 1:09 pm
Feed-in tariff rates for solar PV installations of 4kW or less will fall from 21p to 16p per kWh from 1 August 2012. This was just one of the changes announced by energy minister Greg Barker in the House of Commons today. He also announced that from 1 August the export rate will increase from 3.…
Readers' renewable energy tips of the month
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 24 May 2012 at 12:02 pm
We love reading your stories and tips of what works (and doesn't work) for you. Here are this month's favourites: Where you site your air source heat pump is important, as this succinct message from Lizlaw confirms: "Our heat pump warms the house and water consistently, reliably and saves us m…
How free solar panels can affect your mortgage
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 24 May 2012 at 9:07 am
Q: Will installing solar panels impact on my mortgage? A: Recently the Guardian published an article about a couple that had been refused a mortgage by a number of lenders as they had installed "free" solar panels on their roof, through a "rent-a-roof" scheme. This couple thought they had don…
Step by step guide to rating your installer on YouGen
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 22 May 2012 at 10:50 am
Word of mouth is the best way to find good products and services, whatever the subject. Here at YouGen we aim to amplify word of mouth, by putting it on the internet. The more feedback a company gets, the better the picture prospective customers will have. So here's a guide to how to rate your in…
Buyer beware: don't believe everything a cold caller tells you about solar PV!
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 18 May 2012 at 10:10 am
Do you know what the difference is between daylight and sunlight? Is there one? I was under the impression that we only have daylight thanks to the sun. Not according to a solar PV salesman who rang me recently. I'm on the telephone preference service, so I don't get many unsolicited phone calls.…
Solar PV remains one of the best investments around say trade bodies
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 16 May 2012 at 8:40 am
Thanks to drastically falling costs, solar PV remains one of the best investments around, according to the four trade bodies which represent the British solar industry. They have joined together to debunk the myth that it is no longer attractive. The reasons they give for that claim is that it shiel…
How to choose the best low energy lighting
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 9 May 2012 at 9:14 am
Traditionally we've measured the strength of our lightbulbs in watts. A 40 watt incandescent light bulb was dim, a 100 watt one was bright. However, that measure was misleading. Watts are a measure of power consumption, not of light. A 100 watt incandescent bulb needed 100 watts of electricity to…
Comparing light bulbs: upfront costs vs running costs
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 8 May 2012 at 9:10 am
Do you know the difference in annual energy costs of an LED (light emitting diode) lightbulb and a halogen bulb? You probably know that halogens are cheaper to buy, and more expensive to run, but do you know how great that difference is? I didn't, until I visited the tp24 stand at Ecobuil…
Switch energy supplier to get the best deal
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 4 May 2012 at 9:31 am
Have you switched energy supplier since the industry was deregulated? If the answer is no (and it will be for about half of you), you are almost certainly not getting the best deal. Energy companies have a complex maze of different rates, and the only thing you can be sure about is that if you've be…
Readers tips of the month - April 2012
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 27 April 2012 at 11:10 am
We're always keen to hear your tips about you make your homes and businesses more energy efficient - and how you get the best out of your renewable energy. Here's our favourite tips and stories from the past month. Chemeng says: "Our PV system has reduced our annual grid electricity usage by a…
Wattson Solar Plus helps me to get the most out of my solar PV
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26 April 2012 at 7:45 am
Key to getting the best out of your solar PV system is knowing when you are producing more electricity than you are using. This is the time to do things that use the most electricity. Of course, this isn't always possible. If you want to relax in front of the telly in the evening, the sun…
The feed-in tariff is still alive & paying out - so why do so many people believe it's finished?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 25 April 2012 at 11:42 am
The phones have stopped ringing for many solar PV companies, and my totally unscientific research indicates that the constant changes and media coverage of it are to blame for a widespread belief that the feed-in tariff is no longer available for solar PV. This couldn't be further from the tr…
The feed-in tariff still offers good rates of return - so why have solar PV installations dried up?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 24 April 2012 at 11:02 am
Since the beginning of April solar PV installations have fallen off a cliff. The only time they have been lower over the past 15 months was after the Christmas 2011 feed-in tariff deadline. In this time five companies have resigned their YouGen membership - two going into liquidation, one ceased …
Take time out from your day to be inspired
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 23 April 2012 at 11:34 am
Reading the papers or watching the news these days is pretty miserable. It brings a deluge of things that have gone wrong, and despite being a fervent news junkie, I find myself tuning out more and more often. So it was wonderful to spend last Friday being inspired by 20 amazing people who spend the…
Retrofit of Victorian terrace house reduces energy bills by 89%
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 20 April 2012 at 7:38 am
Described as a "labour of love" by designers Green Tomato Energy the conversion of a Victorian mid-terrace, built in approximately 1870 with solid brick walls, to PassivHaus standard has significantly improved comfort and reduced energy bills. Due to planning restrictions in the local conservatio…
New feed-in tariff rate from July "probably won't be 13p"
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 18 April 2012 at 3:15 pm
"We have probably overestimated" the cost reductions for solar PV going forward, admitted head of the feed-in tariff review at DECC, Rachel Solomon-Williams, yesterday. Speaking at RegenSW's event on the current feed-in tariff consultations, she also gave a ray hope for feed-in tariff (FIT…
Prices of solar PV and other renewable energy vary significantly: always get three quotes
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 16 April 2012 at 9:32 am
Getting three quotes was dinned into me in my first job. It was more than good practice - it was compulsory. Even though I was generally getting quotes from among the same pool of printers, I couldn't necessarily tell which would come in best on a particular job. It made sense, so it's something …
A cautionary tale of a heat pump gone wrong
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 13 April 2012 at 9:06 am
"Our Peak district farm offers self-catering accommodation in eco-renovated barns," write Paul & Elspeth Walker. "When we recently developed an adjoining building as a venue for courses and public events it was an opportunity to enhance the alternative energy potential of the site. "So in 20…
Help: I'm getting conflicting advice about split aspect solar PV and inverters
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 10 April 2012 at 9:01 am
Q: I have had 3 consultants for solar PV and now I am confused. I already have a 2kW system, and wanted to get another 3kW installed. One company said they could not do it, the next said I would get rid of my bill and was going to do split aspects on one inverter. The third one said that I couldn't …
Feed-in tariff eligibility dates: make sure you get your application in on time
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 5 April 2012 at 9:01 am
Q: The Guardian recently reported that 30,735 homeowners and businesses who installed solar panels after a 12 December cut-off date and before 3 March will now be eligible for the previous, higher feed-in tariff (Fit) of 43p per kWh of energy generated. I hoped and expected that the Government w…
Accuracy of predicted solar PV generation set to increase
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 2 April 2012 at 9:09 am
The amount of sunshine in Sheffield is currently used as the basis for all predictions of solar generation, where ever you live. This means that people in the south are likely to be delighted when their new system produces more electricity than promised. The outcome isn't so good for people in north…
How do I ensure the solar PV for our new build gets 21p FITS rate?
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 29 March 2012 at 1:13 pm
Q: We are at the start of a new build in Buxton Derbyshire. The foundations are in place and the walls start to go up at the end of April with a completion date of mid July for the build (excluding the internal fitting out of kitchen, bathroom etc). When would we need to have a solar PV system commi…
When is an EPC not required for solar PV feed-in tariffs
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 27 March 2012 at 2:38 pm
The new energy efficiency requirement for the feed-in tariff (FiTs) for solar PV kicks in on 1 April 2012. This means that the full FITs rate is only available for buildings which have an Energy Performance Certificate of band D or above. This is currently a bit less than half the UK housing stoc…
Renewable Heat Premium Payments scheme is extended; RHI delayed
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 27 March 2012 at 10:35 am
The domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) remains elusive, as the government announced a second phase of the renewable heat premium payments (RHPP) scheme yesterday. The domestic RHI, which will reward people who switch to renewable sources of heat with regular payments for and anticipated …
Legal battle over solar feed-in tariff ends in defeat for DECC
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 26 March 2012 at 11:31 am
Solar installations made between 12 December 2011 and 3 March 2012 will get the higher rate of feed-in tariff (43.3p for up to 4kW systems) as the Supreme Court rejected DECC's appeal on Friday. The industry has been dogged with uncertainty since the legal battle began in December last year. Frie…
Readers tips of the month: biomass and air source heat pump
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 20 March 2012 at 9:02 am
When people register on YouGen we ask them about their renewable energy, and any tips they have for others. Here are our favourites this month: Drumrossie is retired, and lives in a large, old and difficult to heat house. He has installed a log burning boiler with a 60kW output and with 4,000 lit…
What the EPC requirement means for people who want to install solar PV
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 19 March 2012 at 10:14 am
To claim the top rate of feed-in tariff from 1 April 2012 all buildings to which solar PV panels are mounted or wired must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of at least band D. As the average house in England and Wales doesn't quite make it into band D, this means that many people …
Just two weeks for owners of energy-guzzling buildings to claim the top rate of feed-in tariff
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 16 March 2012 at 3:28 pm
Solar PV installations will only be eligible for the full feed-in tariff from 1 April if the building they are mounted on, or wired to, have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of at least band D. This leaves a brief window of opportunity for the owners of old, drafty buildings to get in before …
Six things to put in your response to the feed-in tariff consultation
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 16 March 2012 at 12:39 pm
Government will take note this time, so make sure you respond to the current consultations on the future of the feed-in tariff, says Solar Trade Association PV specialist Ray Noble. "Because they already had an overspent budget to defend, they didn't take notice of last October's consultation," …
Otter and Kingfisher are regular visitors to hydro system
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 16 March 2012 at 12:05 pm
The range of wildlife species has increased at Devon Wildlife Trust's (DWT) new offices at Cricklepit Mill, Exeter, since it installed a hydro electricity system. The impact on fish is often one of the greatest concerns for hydro installations - and one o…
Standalone solar PV defined for feed-in tariffs
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 12 March 2012 at 9:16 am
There's quite a lot of confusion over what "standalone" means in the context of a solar PV system applying for the feed-in tariff. Understanding the difference between standalone and on-site renewables is important as it makes quite a difference to the rate of generation tariff you get fro…
Response to feed-in consultation will make a real difference
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 7 March 2012 at 11:33 am
"This is a genuine consultation," says Alex Weir, senior policy advisor, feed-in tariff review, DECC. "We are really interested to know what the costs [of installing solar PV] are and how they are changing. It is in everyone's interests that costs and tariffs come down together." Speaking at the …
Find the best renewable energy installers: 11 points to check before you invest
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 3 March 2012 at 1:03 am
1. If you want to benefit from the feed-in tariff or the renewable heat incentive (the Government’s financial incentives for renewable energy), you must ensure that both the installer you use, and the product they are installing are accredited under the Microgeneration Certificat…
Campaign to root out cowboy solar installers launched today
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 3 March 2012 at 1:03 am
A campaign is launched today to help people to avoid “unscrupulous” installers of solar panels and other renewable technologies seeking to cash in on confusion surrounding the Government’s feed-in-tariff and other incentives. We have developed the campaign as a result of stories we've heard…
Hydro turbine generates nearly a third of Devon Wildlife Trust's power
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 2 March 2012 at 9:14 am
When Devon Wildlife Trust moved into historic Cricklepit Mill in Exeter, it decided to use the Anglo Saxon mill leat to generate electricity. In 2010 it installed a an Ecowave cross flow micro-hydro turbine, manufactured in nearby Crewkerne. There have been watermills on the spot since 12…
Got a feed-in tariff complaint? You may need this guide!
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 27 February 2012 at 7:53 am
I know from the number of questions we get about it, that working out who's responsible for what in the feed-in tariff isn't always easy. DECC (the department for energy and climate change) obviously realises it too. As part of it's latest consultation it's asking for feedback on an 8 page leaflet o…
DECC appeal to Supreme Court extends uncertainty
Posted by Cathy Debenham on 24 February 2012 at 9:47 am
The confusion over feed-in tariffs continues, as the Government applied to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal against the High Court's decision on Tuesday. A DECC (department of energy and climate change) spokesperson said: "We respectfully disagree with the Court of Appeal’s decision on fee…
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