There are many
benefits to investing in renewable energy technologies. They reduce
the use of fossil fuels to generate heat and power, therefore
reducing CO2 emissions and helping to tackle climate
change.
There are financial benefits too. Not
only will you see a reduction in your energy bills, investing in
renewable technology now means you are pre-buying energy at today’s
prices, for a future where energy costs are almost certainly set to
increase further.
The financial benefits from the feed-in tariff (external link)
and/ or the renewable heat incentive
(external link) also mean payback will be significantly
reduced.
To make the most out of your investment you
should always ensure the building is as energy efficient as
possible before you consider installing renewable
technologies.
Please follow the relevant link for more
information on basic energy efficiency measures in
domestic properties (external link) or
commercial premises (external link).
What technologies are available?
There are a wide range of renewable
technologies which utilise natural elements such as the sun, air,
ground and wind to generate energy.
A series of renewable energy fact sheets have been produced to
provide more information on each renewable energy technology and
explain the planning requirements in more detail:
Fact sheet 1:
Micro/Small Wind Turbines (Adobe PDF format, 168kb)
Fact sheet
2: Solar Thermal Panels (Adobe PDF format, 164kb)
Fact sheet 3: Solar
Photovoltaic Panels (Solar Electric) (Adobe PDF format,
148kb)
Fact
sheet 4: Ground Source Heat Pumps (Adobe PDF format,
124kb)
Fact
sheet 5: Air Source Heat Pumps (Adobe PDF format, 132kb)
Fact sheet 6:
Biomass Boilers (Adobe PDF format, 136kb)
Fact sheet 7: Combined
Heat and Power (CHP) (Adobe PDF format, 176kb)
Fact sheet 8:
Micro-hydro (Adobe PDF format, 152kb)
Fact sheet 9: Biogas and
Anaerobic Digestion (Adobe PDF format, 108kb)
There is also load of further information on the
Energy Saving Trust's range of technologies page (external
link).
Which one is right for my home/ business?
If you're thinking about microgeneration
for your home, the Energy Saving Trust offers a Home
Energy Generation Selector tool (external link) designed to
help you identify the technologies which may be suitable to
generate heat or electricity for your home.
For commercial applications, the
Carbon Trust (external link)
website offers loads of information on energy efficiency and
renewable and energy technologies.
Other sources of advice and guidance can be
found on the
Advice and support page for businesses.
How much income will it generate and what is the payback period
likely to be?
Estimated savings and income can be calculated once you
have an idea of the size of the system you plan to install and its
estimated output.
For small scale installations the Energy
Saving Trust website has a handy
Cashback Calculator (external link) that will help you find out
how much you could earn and save through solar PV panels, wind
turbines, hydroelectricity and micro combined heat and power
systems.
The Carbon Trust also provides a
Wind Estimation Tool (external link) that allows assessment of
wind speeds at potential small wind turbine installation sites.
How should I go about getting some quotes?
It's recommended that you get at least 3 quotes from
different installers before agreeing to any works being
carried out.
If your system is below 50KW for electricity generating
technologies, or below 45KWth for heat generating technologies and
you intend to claim income from the feed-in tariff (external link) or
renewable heat incentive (external
link), then both the equipment and installer must be registered
with the Microgeneration
Certification Scheme (external link).
You can search for MCS
accredited installers (external link) working in the
Northwest.
Do I need to obtain planning permission?
Changes to the permitted development rights
for renewable technologies have become less stringent in the
requirements for planning permission for some domestic
microgeneration technologies.
Solar PV and Solar Thermal Panels
In the majority of cases the installation,
alteration or replacement of solar PV or solar thermal equipment
does not require planning permission.
Exceptions to this, where planning permission
is required, include:
- If the equipment will protrude more than 200mm beyond the wall
or roof slope
- If it would result in the highest part of the equipment being
higher than the highest part of the roof
- If the dwelling is a listed building
- If you live in a conservation area and intend to fit the panels
on a wall forming the principal or side elevation of the dwelling,
or a wall within the curtilage of the dwelling, and it would be
visible from the highway
NB: this applies to wall
mounted applications only. Installations on the roof slope
of a dwelling in a conservation area may well have permitted
development rights.
For information on the current planning
requirements for all other domestic renewable technologies, please
visit the energy
saving trust (external link) website.
Notwithstanding the above, you are
advised to always check with the Planning department before any
installation is considered.
Are free solar panels too good to be true?
There are quite a few renewable energy companies currently
offering free solar PV installations. In most cases, the company
will install the panels on your roof space at no cost to you.
The renewable energy generated will be
provided to you free of charge, giving you savings on your energy
bills and the company will receive the feed-in tariff.
So, the investment is not as lucrative as
funding the installation yourself but you don’t need the upfront
capital investment, and the payback period is non-existent!
It is likely that you will need to sign a 25
year agreement with the company involved so the following issues
should be given consideration:
- Who is responsible for the maintenance of the panels should
they need repair?
- Will any roof repairs or maintenance be required during this
time?
- Who will be responsible for insuring the panels?
- What happens to the panels at the end of the 25 year agreement
period?
Related information