Why we should forget about the Feed-In Tariff
The Feed-In Tariff (FiT) has been a great boon to the solar industry since 2010 but now is the time to move on and look at alternative ways of installing, using and conserving solar energy.
Following the long-awaited results of the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC’s) Feed-In Tariff consultation, announced on the 17th December 2015, domestic solar installations (up to 10kW in size) will now only receive a feed-in tariff rate of 4.39p/kWh; down from the previous rate of 12.47p/kWh.
More changes from the consultation include a pause to the FiT scheme (from 15th January to 7th February), the introduction of deployment cap and quarterly limits in an attempt to control government annual spend to £100 million per year by April 2019.
In essence the government is cutting the apron strings and letting us fend for ourselves in the big, wide solar world.
So where to go from here?
The first thing to remember is that SOLAR IS STILL A GOOD IDEA!
The way we install, use and conserve our energy has to be considered, and this can be thought of in three main ways:
Self Consumption
The idea that the government needs to help us to achieve solar power is a learned behavior and it’s time to re-condition our thinking.
Solar Power can easily be installed, and used, by ANYONE, without government incentives, or the need for a qualified installer. This is known as self-consumption.
With a Plug-In Solar kit, you can install your own solar panels safely, and use the free energy you produce to power the appliances in your home. You do not need any prior qualifications, or experience to do this.
By installing the plug and play solar panels yourself, you save on labour costs and certification fees meaning the payback time on the majority of Plug-In Solar systems is 6 years or under.
As an example a 1kW Plug-In Solar kit can save you an average of over £384.00 per year in electricity costs, over it’s 20 year lifetime. That’s a total saving of over £7,680.00.
Check out just how easy it is to get your own solar power:
Intelligent Energy Use
The way we use energy that we generate from solar power is nearly as important as the amount we generate. Through the use of LED Light bulbs, timer switches, energy monitors, and clever gadgets such as immersion switches (excess energy can be used to heat water) we can use the energy we generate from solar power much more intelligently.
Energy Storage
There are a plethora of energy storage solutions currently on the market, and such solutions are only going to get cheaper, easier to install, prettier, and more user friendly as time rolls by. Not only will they help us store the energy we generate from solar power, but also use it more wisely. A great example is the Tesla Powerwall: https://www.teslamotors.com/en_GB/powerwall
For more information on any of these products, or advice on solar energy, please do not to hesitate to contact us on info@pluginsolar.co.uk or 01444 672005.
