LATEST FEED-IN TARIFF NEWS

Wednesday 1st February 2012: REAL have emailed their members to warn that Solar installers currently guaranteeing a FIT rate of 43.3p for 25 years are mis-selling, and should instead advise customers that they will not receive a FIT rate lower than 21p. Read More.

Read All the latest Solar PV FIT news.

Solar Panels For Your Home

What's All The Fuss About Solar PV?

Government grant funding ended on 3rd February 2010 for electricity generating products, including solar PV. The grants were replaced by Feed In Tariffs (FITs) on 1st April 2010. This is also known as the Clean Energy Cash-Back Scheme.

Under the Feed in Tariff (FITs) scheme, anyone generating their own electricity from Solar PV panels will receive payments for every Kilowatt produced for a period of 25 years after installation. Read more about Feed in Tariffs.

What Is Solar PV?

Solar PV or photovoltaic systems convert light from the sun into electricity that can be used to power lighting and other appliances. Large savings can therefore be made on electricity bills.

Feed in Tariffs are paid by the energy companies for all units of electricity generated by a Solar PV system. A small payment is also available for any surplus electricity fed back into the grid; most energy companies will assume that this is 50%.

Is My Property Suitable For Solar PV Panels?

There are several points to consider before installing Solar PV. You should be aware of the likely costs and potential savings as illustrated in our Feed in Tariff Calculator.

You should have a basic understanding of the Feed In Tariffs and the fact that the large up-front cost will take several years to recover. Read more about Feed in Tariffs or try entering some examples on our Feed in Tariff Calculator.

The property or land must be owned by the user. If the property is a listed building or situated in a conservation area or world heritage site, you should check with your local authority before going any further as planning permission is far less likely to be obtained.

In most cases, solar panels are located on a roof. You must have at least 8m² of space available to situate the panels for a 1kWp system. The panels must face somewhere between South East and South West (through South).

N.B. Fitting Solar PV to East/West facing roofs results in a performance drop of up to 15%. Some installers advise it is still worthwhile and some do not. We are unable to separate enquiries and send them to the correct installers so unfortunately, we cannot help in these circumstances.

The proposed panel location should not be shaded by trees, buildings or other obstacles. If panels are to be installed on a roof which is the most common location, it should be strong enough to take the weight. If you are unsure of the available space, the direction the roof faces or whether it is shaded then use our Roof Checker.

How Can EnergyLink Help Me?

EnergyLink can arrange for you to receive up to three quotes from MCS accredited installers of Solar PV systems in your local area. Our installers can all carry out free, no-obligation surveys of your property. If the surveys show that your property is suitable and you are willing to go ahead, the installer you choose will arrange the work and assist you with the FITs.