As this project progresses certain features become core to the overall design whilst others fall onto the ‘B’ list. This ‘B’ list consists of technologies and design elements that I would like to implement during some future phase of the project as time and money allow.
Electricity-generating photovoltaic (PV) solar panels have always been on the ‘B’ list for reasons of cost, payoff periods and the fact that there is a ready and easy alternative (can’t get much easier than mains electricity!).
I’ve read a number of articles recently that me me glad about that decision. Since government grants were capped at £2500 in May last year applications have fallen off – only 113 households applied between March & September 2007 with around 4,000 total prior to then and installers have been reducing the size of their workforces due to lack of business. The PV industry as a whole seems to be further back than it was when I started this project.
Within feed-in schemes (householders being paid for electricity they generate and export back in to the national grid) receiving no government encouragement – the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform states that such schemes do not fit with the UK energy market, it is increasing difficult to see any practical financial governmental support for green energy initiatives.
So I’ll leave solar power on my ‘B’ list for a year or so and hopefully some support will materialise …. here’s hoping …
Leave a Reply