Solar panels work by capturing the suns energy and converting this into electricity and with the UK renowned for not having the sunniest of climates the question arises as to whether solar panels are suitable for the UK’s weather conditions.

The simple answer is yes. The reason why is because solar only requires daylight to capture energy and therefore this can be captured on bright colder days just as well as on sunnier days. Even when there are clouds in the sky there will still be light available that the solar panels can capture. However, consideration needs to be given to the amount of energy that is captured during the different weather conditions as this will be the main difference. As on long summer days the solar panels will generate more electricity than on a cloudier, cold and shorter winter day.

Another consideration when installing the solar panels is the position of the roof and where the panels will be fitted. The panels need to be positioned so that they are south facing as this will mean that they will be capturing most of the suns light during the day. It is also important to ensure that the roof is not shaded by any objects that will hinder the collection of the daylight. It will also be important to ensure that the panels are set at an angle from the ground of about 30-40 degrees to get the most out of them.

If you have been contemplating purchasing solar panels and have been unsure about the UKs climate then you need not worry. Statistics show that the UK is akin to some places in France and Spain as it receives the same amount of sunlight as these areas. Also, the UK does receive 60% of the solar radiation found at the equator. Therefore, all these statistics point to the fact that the UK gets enough light to make solar panels feasible.

If you are still unsure then you should take a look around you and see the phenomenal growth in homes installing solar panels on their roofs to generate electricity. A recent article in The Guardian newspaper suggested that more properties were installing solar panels and that the governments feed-in tariff was likely to be the reason for this. They also believe that households are also looking for continued efficiency improvements and risk mitigation against fossil fuel increases which solar energy can provide. They concluded that solar panels will start to become commonplace on roofs as this green, renewable energy source becomes more widespread and a viable energy source for many households across the UK.

Guest Article by Sarah Wain

Solar panel costs are set to come down if new figures from British Gas are to be believed.

British Gas reckons that the roofs of UK homes could earn upwards of £7 billion, with individual houses earning from between £600 and £1,000, effectively slashing the solar panel costs. The cost of buying a solar panel could, they believe, be completely made back by using the solar panel itself, making this piece of technology certainly worth a thought.

The report believes that over 12 million households are in fact equipped with roofs that would benefit from solar panels. Once fitted, the solar panel would then be responsible for producing electricity that could meet half of the household’s needs.

The Government’s Feed-in Tariff scheme has been developed to encourage their use, with the programme paying owners of the solar panels for the electricity they generate. Households with a solar panel could therefore earn up to £600 a year from having the solar panels installed on their roofs, and those which can accommodate bigger systems could get up to £1000.

Carbon savings are of course the biggest benefit from using solar panels; the average solar panel on a household roof can save up to 692kg of CO2 per year. If every house were to take on a solar panel, then the UK would save roughly 8.5 million tonnes of Co2; an impressive figure for a relatively small nation.

After a period of piloting schemes, British Gas have announced that they are putting a big push behind the offering of solar power to British households. mySolar Energy is believed by British Gas to be the new way forward in solar power, providing end-to-end solar installation service, as well as carrying out assessment of energy consumption in homes, installing the solar panels, and issuing a CEPP (Certificate of Expected Panel Performance) to homeowners should they wish to sell their home. On top of this, British Gas is working with the new government to entwine their offer with the Feed-in Tariff.

British Gas hope to offer two ways in which customers can get involved with using solar power; the first involves British Gas installing the panel at no cost, but claiming the Feed-in Tariff from the solar panel. However, the householders get to benefit from the electricity their panel generates; this has been dubbed the ‘rent a roof’ scheme. The second way in which people can engage with this new idea is to buy the solar panels up front from British Gas, and claim the Feed-in Tariff for themselves; for this, a two year 0% APR has been offered.

Solar panel costs are no longer a thing of myth and legend with British Gas’s new research and report, as well as its push for a more solar-panel oriented nation. They argue that the benefits of having a solar panel vastly outweigh any negatives that customers may have heard, and point to the success of the pilot schemes.

Guest Article by Neil Camp