Skip to main content

Author: Princes LHS

Local couple make substantial savings on energy bills

Just over a year after we installed their Solar PV system, we caught up with Mr Johnson & Mrs Rudkin, a local couple, to see how they have benefited from their install.

To read their story, and to see how we at Princes LHS Ltd might be able to help you, click on the link below to take you to our case study page.

http://www.princeslhs.ltd/mr-johnson-mrs-rudkin-solar-savings/

UK leading the way with solar installations

In 2014 the UK led the European solar expansion, installing 2.4GW  of solar, which equates to 1/3 of Europe’s total installations.

“The success of the UK, set to be the largest European market again in 2015, reinforces the evidence that solar power is a versatile and cost-efficient energy source in any climate,” said James Watson, the CEO of SolarPower Europe

One of the main reasons that solar has been so popular in the UK is the continued implementation of financial incentives such as the Feed in Tariff, which have been removed across other European countries. The UK, so far in 2015, have installed 2GW of solar, a figure which is projected to rise to 3GW by the end of this year.

Cumulative solar installations 2000-2014

In 2014, solar installations across the world were 100 times greater than the total solar installed in 2000.

With current trends set to continue, there is no better time to invest in solar; see your energy bills decrease, while adding to the UK’s continued progress towards a country powered by renewable energy technologies.

 

Projected FIT cuts

On July 1st 2015, the Feed in Tariff rate for installations below 4kW will be decreasing to 12.92p/kWh, and for installations over 4kW, but not exceeding 10kW we will see the rate decrease to 11.71p/kWh.

“Degression is a periodic reduction in tariffs, the size of which is dependent on the amount of deployment in the preceding period” -DECC

Therefore, the more solar power that is installed, the further the Feed in Tariff rate is due to drop. Even though it is too early to confirm, The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) figures suggest that there is also going to be a reduction in the tariff on October 1st 2015.

Request your FREE site survey today so that you can make the most of you Solar PV system.

 

 

Win a complete 1KW solar PV system

Simon Lewis, director of Princes Solar Energy, London Marathon

Win a Solar PV system worth over £3,000, installed on your home.

On 26th April 2015 Simon Lewis, director of Princes Solar Energy, is running the London Marathon for local charity the Kenyan Schools Project (KSP).

KSP, who are also based in Ellesmere, Shropshire, raise money to fund and build schools in Kenya. Princes Solar Energy is aiming to raise money for a Solar system to be placed on a school built by KSP to provide free, clean electricity.

Running alongside this fundraising we are running a competition for someone to win a complete 1KW Solar PV System installed on their home, (subject to T&C’s*).

To be in with a chance of winning this system entrants must like the Princes Solar Energy Facebook page, and then guess the time that Simon will complete the marathon in. Guesses should be in the format of hours, minutes and seconds and written as a comment below our Facebook post, which can be found at our Facebook page . The winner will be the person with the time nearest Simon’s actual race chip time.

You can also sponsor Simon directly at www.virginmoneygiving.com/PrincesSolarEnergy

*Terms and conditions

  1. Competition is limited to households within a 50 mile radius of SY12 0EW.
  2. If the competition is won by an individual that is not a homeowner then the system can be given to a nominated recipient who is a homeowner within a 50 mile radius as above.
  3. Competition is limited to one entry per person, more than one entry can be made per household.
  4. Entrants must be over 18 years old.
  5. To be in with a chance of winning the solar system entrants must like the Princes Solar Energy page on Facebook.
  6. If more than one person guesses the time correctly, or multiple entrants have times are equally close to Simon’s actual time, then these names will be placed in a hat and the winner drawn out at random.
  7. Competition is not available to employees of Princes Solar Energy or immediate family of employees.
  8. The solar system may be upgraded for a bigger system at the expense of the competition winner if required.
  9. Competition closes for entry 12pm Friday 24th April 2015.
  10. Installation of solar system is subject to roof survey and suitability, if the roof is not suitable then the system may be donated to a nominated recipient.

Feed In Tariff rate change

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced that the current Feed-in Tariff rate of 14.38p/kWh is set to decrease by 3.5% on the 1st January 2015. This will make the rate drop to 13.87p/kWh.

It is important to note that any solar PV system that is commissioned before this date will still be eligible for the higher, current tariff, subject to gaining an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) at a band ‘D’ or higher.

Degression is a periodic reduction in tariffs, the size of which is dependent on the amount of  deployment in the preceding period.- DECC

Because of the number of Solar systems that have been installed in the UK in the last quarter, and because there hasn’t been a change in Feed-in Tariff rate since 1st April 2014, we are now due a change in rate.

Here at Princes LHS Ltd, we commission the system and send off your Feed in Tariff application forms to your energy provider for you, meaning that you can begin to see your electricity savings as soon as possible.

Solar remains Britons’ most popular energy generation technology

Solar is still the most popular energy generation technology amongst Brits, according to the latest results of the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s public opinion tracker.

The tenth wave of DECC’s public attitudes tracker reveals that support for renewables is still extremely high, with 79% of those polled expressing support for the generation of energy from renewable sources.

In particular, solar enjoys the most support with 82% of those asked supporting its deployment in the UK followed by wave and tidal (73%), offshore wind (72%), onshore wind (67%) and biomass (60%).

The findings of the survey suggest that the government’s assumption that increased solar farm deployment would adversely affect public support for solar is misplaced. In April, the ex-climate change minister, Greg Barker told Solar Power Portal that he wanted investors to turn their attention away from ground-mount to rooftop solar in order to “avoid solar becoming the new onshore wind”. Since then the UK has seen record ground-mount deployment that has driven the sector to the 5GW cumulative install milestone this month.
Shale fail

The government figures show that support for fracking is dropping with just 24% of Brits supporting the extraction of shale gas – down from 29% in March 2014. The figure is in stark contrast to polling data published by UK Onshore Oil and Gas which claimed that 57% of Brits supported fracking. The survey was widely criticised for leading questions and misleading question structure.

In addition, the amount of Brits concerned about the UK’s energy security has declined, with 48% stating that they were concerned about power cuts becoming more frequent compared to 61% last March.

The 2014 Brazil World Cup has become the ‘greenest’ in history

The 2014 Brazil World Cup has become the ‘greenest’ in history, and FIFA have been congratulated on this financial investment…

“One of the highlights of the football’s ongoing FIFA 2014 World Cup is the use of solar energy to power the large stadiums.

Four of the host venues, the stadia in Brasilia, Bella Horizonte, Pernambuco and the iconic Estadio do Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, can produce a combined 5.4 MW of solar energy.”

iStock_000036858122Small-150x150

Planning submitted for a wind turbine in Ellesmere

Currently in Ellesmere, Shropshire there has been planning submitted for a wind turbine on the outskirts of the town. The turbine itself will stand higher than Big Ben, creating a great eyesore for many people within the town. For this reason, solar is often a better alternative for many people. Once solar PV panels have been installed they require very little maintenance and can create extra income through the Feed In Tariff Scheme.