Free Solar Panels Available to UK Households

Energy sector organisation EnergyLink has called on British households to act now and take advantage of the opportunity to dramatically reduce their carbon footprint, without spending a penny.

While many low carbon technologies such as wind turbines or heat pumps may be too expensive or impractical for the average UK consumer, free solar panels allow households to help protect the environment and make big savings on their energy bills.

An increasing number of solar panel companies across the UK are now willing to install and maintain solar energy systems for free. Properties which are privately owned and meet the criteria of having an unshaded roof space of at least 20 square metres facing South, South East or South West should qualify.

The solar installer receives payments called feed-in tariffs for the electricity generated by the system and the householder is able to significantly reduce their carbon footprint by receiving free electricity during daylight hours.

Another option is for householders to pay for the solar PV system and claim the feed-in tariff for themselves. However, not everyone has the capital available and neither can they raise it, so free solar panels are a viable solution for many.

It is estimated that each kilowatt of solar PV electricity generated will offset the production – by fossil fuel-generated power – of 16 kilos of nitrogen oxide, 9 kilos of sulphur oxides and 2,300 kilos of carbon dioxide. A typical free solar panel system is in the region of 3 to 4 kilowatts.

By signing up for free solar panels, UK homes will generate clean energy for at least 25 years after installation, which is the minimum amount of time the Government has agreed to continue the feed-in tariff scheme.

According to EnergyLink, not only will solar-powered households be playing a major role in contributing to a cleaner, more diversified energy mix for the UK, they will also be able to use energy during daytime hours without worrying about the environmental impact or the size of their energy bills.

Charging devices such as MP3 players, digital cameras, laptop and tablet computers and using timer-controlled devices such as washing machines and slow cookers can all be done during the day whether or not anyone is at home.

Those who spend much of their day at home can also use entertainment and work-related devices alongside lighting and heating with the peace of mind that they lowering their impact on the environment and saving on bills.

Solaria Dedicates Solar Panel Plant in Fremont

On Earth Day, Solaria held its dedication of a new solar panel manufacturing plant in Fremont, positioning the company to be a leader in renewable energy and manufacturing jobs.

“California has been instrumental in implementing incentives that help foster the growth of solar and other green technologies. Solaria is an exemplar of clean tech job growth in California — the kind of growth that can be furthered through effective public-private partnerships,” said Lt. Governor Newsom.

Also in attendance were: Sierra Club's Executive Director Michael Burne, EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld, CPUC Commissioner Mark Ferron, CEC Commissioner Karen Douglas and Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D- Fremont).

With a new headquarters and a manufacturing plant in Fremont, Solaria plans to to produce 25 MW per year, an equivalent to supply electricity to about 25,000 homes during the day, according to CEO Dan Shugar.

In total, the company, which contracts with a plant in Hyderabad, India, expects to produce capacity for about 50 MW per year. With the Fremont plant running since January 2011, the company plans to expand production and double jobs, from about 100 to 200, in the next 12 months.

CEO Dan Shugar's former position was president of SunPower Systems, a subsidiary of SunPower Corp. Ten days earlier, in Milpitas, SunPower Corp. dedicated its first full-scale domestic solar manufacturing plant.

Unlike SunPower's federal funds, Solaria's funding is mostly private. In the third quarter of 2010, Solaria secured $65 million in financing, according to the company.

With an early seed grant from the National Renewable Energy Lab, Solaria developed a new, high-efficiency solar panel that uses 50 percent less of the silicon PV cell material as a standard panel, yet produces the same power, according to the company. 

This year, a loan from the CEC helped Solaria procure some of the high-tech automation equipment that enables the company to manufacture in California and remain competitive in the marketplace. 

A grant from the CPUC assisted Solaria with a 110 KW solar panel system which powers half of the factory operations.

The city of Fremont, to attract clean tech companies, has an agreement with Solaria, to exempt them from business taxes to the city for the first five years.