With the introduction in 2010 of feed-in tariffs for renewable electricity generation, some companies are now offering free solar panels for your home. Solar installation companies are offering these free solar panels for your home in order to make money from the feed-in tariffs, but schemes such as these can also benefit you as a householder.
Also known as ‘rent my roof space’ schemes, free solar panels for your home are usually completely installed at no cost to the homeowner but any money generated from feed-in tariffs is taken by the company. As the householder, however, you will still benefit from reduced electricity bills as any electricity generated and used on site will either be offered for free or at a discounted rate by the installing company. A typical domestic 2.7kwp solar array could offer savings of approximately £70-£140 per annum or 25%-50% of annual use.
As the free solar panels for your home are being attached to your property, the contract between you and the installer could be quite complicated so it is important to fully understand the benefits and implications of going ahead with a scheme such as this before agreeing to it. The Energy Saving Trust website has a useful list of questions to ask covering areas such as insurance for the panels, maintenance of the panels and what will happen if you sell your home.
As with the installation of any renewable electricity source, it is important to make best use of the supply by implementing energy efficiency measures. Check out our energy saving tips page and our Energy Saving Calculator for some suggestions. With solar power it is also worth running appliances such as washing machines during daylight hours in order to benefit from the availability of solar energy during that time.
Source: www.est.org.uk 2011
