How not to spend unnecessary money

Southern Solar install 37.4kWp on the Loughborough Estate, Brixton

At the end of March the rooftop of the Brixton, Loughborough Estate had installed a 37.4kWp solar PV system by us, Southern Solar on behalf of Repowering South London.

Not only is this the first cooperatively owned solar power project on social housing but it is also the first UK inner city project.

The system is able to reduce the estate’s carbon footprint as well as generating an income through the feed-in tariff incentive, which provides local investors with a share of the profits. Funding was raised by a community share offer, providing a return to investors of up to 3% per annum. Any remaining money generated will go towards reducing the carbon footprint of Brixton through a Community Energy Efficiency Fund.

The Energy Fund will support energy-saving improvements, education and re-skilling in the Brixton area.

At Southern Solar in London we are very happy and feel very privileged to have been involved in such a great project.

If you are interested in future projects like this from Repowering South London you can register interest on their website at http://brixtonenergy

In the last few months it has been manic here at Southern Solar London, and in all of our branches. 

Last week Southern Solar was at Ecobuild where we were celebrating our 10th Anniversary with champagne and cakes.

At the beginning of this week we saw the Supreme Court rule in favour of the solar industry meaning all our customers who
installed before 3rd March 2012 got the old higher tariff from the Feed in Tariff.

And as this week has gone on so has our PV installation for Repowering South London. Brixton Energy 1 will be the UK’s first inner city community owned energy Co op.

Due to finish tomorrow we will have more news on this next week.

Since the announcement that from the 1st April properties must meet the criteria for a band D Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), or above in order to claim the full 21p of the Feed in Tariff (FiT), if they apply for the FiT with out conformation that the property is band D or above they will receive the tariff at 9p per kWh generated.

Until now we’ve been unsure whether installing solar would be included in the Buildings energy performance rating, or if the building had to meet this standard before installing solar technology. The Department of energy and Climate Change have confirmed that solar panels can be installed to reach the EPC level D standard before applying to receive the full FiT rate.

The full response from DECC states

In some cases this may be possible. However, you should be aware that if you decide to install solar PV on a building that has a rating lower than D and a subsequent EPC assessment shows that the solar PV installation has not improved the rating of the building to a level of D, you will be unable to obtain the standard tariffs without undertaking further improvements to the energy performance of your property and obtaining another EPC assessment.

This is because a generator must be able to provide as part of their application for FITs an EPC certificate showing a rating of level D or above for the building to which the solar PV installation is attached or wired to provide electricity.

This is positive news for both homeowners and the industry, however highlights the importance of using a reputable installer. If after the install the property does not meet the required level D EPC standard you will not receive the full FiT rate. Make sure you use an installer who will give you honest and impartial advice.

It is also worth noting you must demonstrate that your property meets the energy efficiency requirement at the time you apply for FITs. If you submit a EPC lower than band D with your FiT application or do not submit one at all you will receive the 9p per kWh tariff and it is NOT possible to submit an additional certificate sat any time. If your property does not meet level D EPC standards when you apply for the FiT you will receive the lower rate for the duration of the tariff.

Comparing solar companies is tricky, from panel sizes; to solar radiation data the number of variables included in producing a professional quotation for a solar installation are numerous. Here is our guide to navigating some areas of solar installation.

Surveyors:
Our clients tell us they’d prefer not to have a pushy sales agent, giving them the hard sell. It sounds like a stereotype but they really are out there!  Look for a company that exudes honesty and integrity; its far better if your installer sends experienced, happy and well trained staff out to homes and businesses. We’ve found sharing the experience we’ve learned over 9 years in business, and helping our clients to make an informed decision on what is right for them and their properties we get a really efficient, professionally installed job and clients who join the sales force referring more business . We take a dim view of companies who push for a deposit on the doorstep. We’d rather introduce you to some of our happy customers and encourage you to visit them.

Installation Team:
There are companies out there sending staff from one end of the country to the other working on installations. Imagine the fuel usage and fatigue in maintaining this in a busy market. It pays to ensure your local Solar Installation Company has their own team of trained installers local to each of their offices on the payroll. Not only providing employment but training and promoting staff from apprentice level right through to project leaders and managers. Client satisfaction during installation comes from having a highly skilled, trained and motivated team on site. Compare this to subcontracted staff travelling for hours before starting work on a job. There is real value in finding a company who invest in their people.

Pay Back:
Check your quotation carefully; does it give you a payback calculation? You can actually compare what your installer is quoting by using a third party calculator online.

See http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Generate-your-own-energy/Cashback-Calculator

Southern Solar won’t give you over ambitious estimates for your return on investment. We actively encourage our customers to check against the Energy Saving Trust’s Website, their calculator is impartial and free to use.

Comparing apples with apples:
Did you know that there is a database providing accurate solar radiation statistics for every part of the UK, and that these vary from town to town, valley to valley? Ensure your solar installer provides you with solar radiation figures that are appropriate for your area. For example, a quotation for a property in the West Midlands should not be using a Devon or Cornwall solar radiation figure in its calculations, which would be over ambitious and give misleading performance and return on investment figures.