When the Feed-In Tariff (FiT) was introduced in 2010, it did a good job of creating a solar industry and reducing the installed cost of systems. It did this by offering an incentive of receiving payments for generating their own electricity.

It is estimated that almost 1 million homes in the UK now have solar panels fitted (source: Solar Trade Association)

When the FIT scheme came to an end on 31 March 2019 it sparked rumours that solar may no longer be such a hot option.

The current government is looking into replacing the feed-in tariff under its Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) and from 1st January 2020, the large energy companies are obliged to offer tariffs for solar.

This is good news for the industry and means you should definitely consider solar panels as an option, if you still need convincing, here are three great reasons why.

1.    Save money

The cost of solar panel installation has come down considerably in the years since the introduction of FiT.

Fitting solar panels is now, on average 25% of the cost of when the tariff was first introduced in 2010 when it was around £20,000 to buy and install panels, but now it’s about £5,000.

And long term it’s a great investment. Using the sun to generate your energy will payback over time in some instances reduce your energy bills by 50% and more.

The even better news is that the installation of solar panels is classed an ‘energy efficiency measure’ and will raise the EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating of your property, which can increase the value of your property.

2.    Future proof your home

The technology is getting better and better. Lots of the main suppliers including LG and Panasonic have improved the technology meaning that with regular care – we recommend that solar panels are cleaned twice a year –  they can last for up to 25 years (with a slight degradation of performance of around 20% over 25 years)

It also provides the bedrock of a great system that you can build on and be able to use additional energy created for your own need.

With FiT, homeowners were generally restricted to installing 4GW but with these restrictions now lifted, you can go bigger and installing 5.2GW on a roof can generate up to 5000kWh per year on an unshaded south facing roof.

The benefit of this is that you can build onto it in the future with extras including storage batteries, charge hot water cylinders, electric car chargers and heat pump technology.

Household solar batteries allow people to consume their own electricity rather than export it, and could provide power in the event of a power cut (back up battery systems)

Electric Vehicles are growing in popularity, the number of new cars registered increases month on month energy generated through solar panels could power an electric car charger – no more expensive fuel bills.

An air source heat pump runs on electricity and is a good alternative to LPG or oil or electric heating. You could use some of your solar power to run the heat pump, on sunny cold days.

3.    Making a clean choice

If you have concerns regarding the future of planet Earth, you will be conscious that every day we continue to use fossil fuels to provide energy the more we are adding to our carbon footprint and the climate change crisis.

Renewable technologies like solar power, give you a choice. It is estimated that once 10 million people have solar power in the UK one third of households could be utilising solar energy meaning 40% of the total volume of electricity would be generated from the sun in the summer.  How fantastic would that be?

Generating your own energy means you will reduce your dependence on fossil fuels and protecting you from rising energy costs.

Solar panels need to be installed on your home by an MCS certified (or equivalent) installer and the average installation can be done in one day.

And with companies like Nationwide Building Society earmarking £1billion to give customers cut-rate ‘green’ mortgages and loans for eco-home improvements it could be a more affordable option for more people.

If you are interested in installing solar panels call our renewables team for a free survey and quotation.

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Are you pleased with your new installation?
Yes – very, Gregor were extremely helpful and organising the installation was very simple. Although there were some set backs with the scaffolding the whole process only took 2 and a half days to complete and the end result is actually quite aesthetically pleasing.
Plus we have already seen a £97 return in the first 2 weeks!

Why did you decide to install a renewable energy system?
What made you choose [PV]?
We’ve always been a fan of new technologies and with fuel prices on the increase Solar PV seemed like the perfect solution. We looked in to various renewable energy systems but the age of the property meant we would have struggled to get a heat pump fitted. The roof designated for the panels cannot be seen from the road, and with the level of attention paid by Gregor in the installation the final product does not detract from the house appearance, only enhance it.

What made you decide to choose Gregor as your installer?
We did our research and sourced quotes from competitors, one of which was based in the midlands! Having seen the Gregor vans working on our neighbours property and hearing how pleased they were with their installation, we arranged a meeting with the Gregor energy specialist. We were keen to work with a local company and knew from this first visit that our investment was in the best hands.

How did you find the overall service/experience of your Gregor energy expert?
We got on very well with the team of renewable energy experts who advised us and kept communication open throughout the install. They fitted in with our lives and any questions we had were answered efficiently and with expert knowledge.

Are you pleased with how much you will save and earn under the Feed in Tariff scheme?
Yes – all the figures we have seen so far look promising, and although we have only had the panels installed for 2 weeks we have already seen a £97 return! With bills on the increase we are looking forward to seeing the annual return from our initial investment.

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Happy to recommend Gregor to anyone

With a background in electronic manufacturing – and with environmental considerations in mind – Nigel Burtt had been thinking for a while about a solar PV system. Following the introduction of the Government Feed-In Tariff scheme, and further detailed research, he set about obtaining a number of quotations from installers and from these Gregor Heating was chosen to carry out the work.

With a south facing aspect the 2003 house is ideally situated for a solar array, however, gables at either side of the roof interfered to a small degree with the sun’s reception. To offset the shading effect, Richard Blackmore, Gregor Heating’s renewable energy specialist, recommended an eight-panel array capable of producing 1.44 kwp (killowatt peak) energy, to be placed between the two gable roofs.

To Mr and Mrs Burtt’s delight, installation of the Grant Monocrystalline panels and connection to the existing household electrical systemwas completed in just one day. Further, they found the Gregor engineers friendly, carrying out their work in a clean and tidy manner.

Commenting, Nigel Burtt acknowledges that a PV installation is a long-term investment and that one needs to want to do it for more than just financial reasons. However, he felt that the uncertainty of future energy prices and the Government’s FIT initiative, together with the added value to the property, made solar PV a viable consideration.

And, he added, he is happy to recommend Gregor to anyone.

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