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Germany shows that solar energy can play a key role in the energy mix

By Sunhive | June 3rd, 2012

An inspiring article by The Guardian shows that solar energy can play a key role in the energy mix of industrialised societies. Never before anywhere has a country produced as much photovoltaic electricity,” Allnoch told Reuters. “Germany came close to the 20 gigawatt mark a few times in recent weeks. But this was the first [...]

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Community Project in Lewes Installs 445 Solar Panels on Roof of Brewery

By Sunhive | January 8th, 2012

The Transition initiativein Lewes raised more than £350,000 in July to build their own community-owned solar power station, the first of its kind. The 98 kW solar array consists of 445 solar PV panels and was fitted to the top of a local brewery, Harvey’s. The money was raised in just two months by local [...]

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The Solar Boom is Here

By Sunhive | January 4th, 2012

                2011 has seen a massive rise in the solar PV markets, both in the UK and globally. There are now 2,400 MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme)registered installers in the UK and 50,000 PV installations. The installation rate is now increasing by an average of 5000 (12%) per month. In June 2010 there were just 2,708 [...]

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British Gas Raise Prices Yet Again

By LaylaR | July 11th, 2011

An Excellent Time to Start Thinking About Free Solar Panels British Gas announced today that they would be raising their prices again, in addition to the 7% increase that happened in December. The price hike, which will take effect on the 18th August, will put electricity up by 16% and gas by 18%. Overall it [...]

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How to get the most value out of your solar panels?

By Sunhive | June 10th, 2011

Once you have had your solar panels fitted, what will be the next thing you will need to start thinking about? An important thing, especially if you have opted for free solar panels scheme, is to match up your household’s demand for electricity when the supply is most abundant, i.e. during sunlight hours. This is [...]

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How can tenants get solar panels?

By Sunhive | May 17th, 2011

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 [...]

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What are feed-in tariffs and how do they work?

By Sunhive | April 14th, 2011

A feed-in tariff (FIT) is a funding mechanism used in many countries to help promote small-scale renewable energy production. A typical 2.5kWp domestic solar PV installation costs around £12,000, but with the FIT this can generate an income of roughly £1,000 (tax free) on top of the savings on your electricity bills. This makes it [...]

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How much electricity can you get from a solar PV system?

By Sunhive | April 6th, 2011

The average household in the UK uses 3300 units of electricity (kWh, or kilowatt-hours) of electricity each year. Based on an electricity price of 12.5p per kWh this costs over £400. An average domestic solar PV installation in the south of the UK can cut your electricity bill by up to 50% depending on your [...]

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Looking for free solar panels? Here’s where to go.

By Sunhive | August 16th, 2010

Note: Since this article was written, Sunhive has launched a scheme to offer free solar power to home owners in Sussex. So far there are 3 companies offering free solar panels in the UK. This is such a straight forward proposition for both home owners and investors, that we are sure to see a few [...]

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Spain sees cut backs for future feed-in-tariffs

By Sunhive | August 3rd, 2010

The Spanish photovoltaic solar industry is having to deal with a seismic shift in the feed-in-tariffs. The Ministry of Industry is recommending that the tariffs be reduced significantly. The good news is that what is being recommended does not involve retroactive changes to the feed-in-tariffs; all past projects will enjoy previously set tariffs. The proposals [...]

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