News Article
The Smart Money Is Still On Solar
Many homeowners are aware that the Government has slashed solar subsidies. However, many householders are not aware that the solar industry has slashed costs, so solar still remains a great prospect for UK homeowners. As the Prime Minister David Cameron acknowledged at a recent international energy conference in London; "Already, solar costs have halved in two years."
The Solar Trade Association calculates that solar power still produces sound returns on investment of up to 10%, as good as when the Feed-In Tariff scheme began. YouGen, the independent consumer-led advice website says that "at 21p the generation tariff for installations up to and including 4kWp solar PV (household size) is still a really attractive proposition."
Gary Summers, CEO of EOS Energy said, "There have been a lot of gloomy headlines about solar power but the fact is the returns on offer are far better than anything you can get in the bank. The smart money is on solar. And by investing in solar power not only do householders protect themselves from rocketing electricity bills, they help local businesses and employment. I urge people to come to our Open Day at our Southam headquarters on 6th July, where we will be showcasing our range of PV and other renewable technologies."
The environmental campaign group Greenpeace is keen to encourage people to invest in solar. Dr Doug Parr, Policy Director at Greenpeace UK explains why: "Local renewable energy remains a valuable contributor to a sustainable economy. We welcome further solar PV systems, taking advantage of genuinely sustainable energy in the drive to protect the planet from climate change."
Virginia Graham, Chief Executive of the REAL Consumer Code said; "It is true that solar power can still offer attractive to returns to householders in the right circumstances. We recommend anyone interested in installing solar power to ensure the supplier is listed on the REAL and MCS websites and to read our guidance for consumers carefully before going ahead: http://www.realassurance.org.uk/consumers/top-tips ."
There has been over a quarter of a million installations across the UK since the launch of the FIT in April 2010. The industry has blossomed to employ around 25,000 people and it is set to grow rapidly, despite the recession. Thanks to campaigning by the Solar Trade Association the role of solar power is now recognised by Government and the Prime Minister with 22GW anticipated by 2020.
