Of the two different types of solar panel on the market, thermal (for hot water) and photovoltaic or PV (for electricity) how can a householder choose which is best? Currently a feed-in tariff (FIT) exists in the UK for PV panels where the government will pay up to 43.3p per kWh of electricity produced, depending [...]
How do solar panels affect the value of your house? An assumption made by some is that they might reduce the price of a property due to their appearance. This is, however, far from the truth. Philip Sellwood, the chief executive of the Energy Savings Trust has suggested that renewable energy devices fitted to a [...]
Some of the most commonly held misconceptions about solar energy are that solar panels are too expensive, do not work in cloudy weather and that they are unreliable. However, it will now be explained why this is not in fact the case. Cost: The issue of cost speaks for itself as it is now possible [...]
What can you do if you are a tenant in a house and would like to have solar panels fitted? You will of course have to do this through your landlord and some may be more compliant than others. In order to obtain their agreement, the best thing to do will be to provide them [...]
Does the fitting of solar panels require planning permission? While the majority of domestic solar panels do not require permission, there are some exceptions which are dictated by government rules. It is then up to local councils to make planning decisions. The government state that for roof mounted solar panels, planning permission will need to [...]
Concerns have been expressed recently about pollution from solar panels both during the manufacturing process and when they reach the end of their usable lives. The manufacture of panels frequently involves toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury as well as producing CO2. However, a recent study found that due to the heavy [...]
When trees cause solar panels to be shaded this can bring up issues such as the rights of the respective owners and the environmental sacrifice of removing or pruning the tree. In UK law, while we do not automatically have a legal right to sunlight on our buildings, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau states that a [...]
