Page 8 - Phonebox Magazine June 2010

D.V. Boddy
Solar is an earner with new feed-in tariff
Electrical Contractors
Domestic • Commercial • Industrial All work part P approved
01234 711116 or 07841 196227
WHEN YOU GET an approved renewable energy system installed you can now benefit from a Feed-in Tariff (FIT). Your electricity supplier will pay one tariff for the electricity you generate and one for any electricity you export to the grid. For a standard household Solar PV system they’ll pay 41.3p per kWh generated and at least 3p per kWh exported.
A 2.5kW peak Solar PV system Photo courtesy of cocoonyourhome.co.uk
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FITs mean that a well sited Solar PV
system can now pay for itself in as little as 12.5 years. To qualify for FITs, equipment and its installers must both be MCS approved. The Microgeneration Certification Scheme is the new guarantee of quality.
A 2.5kW peak system for a two person household could save/earn you £1000 a year and currently costs around £15,000 fitted. A new set up like this will reduce your annual CO2 emissions by around a tonne. In terms of its positive environmental impact this is comparable to getting loft and cavity wall insulation fitted together.
FITs replace government grants for electricity generating technologies like Solar PV and wind turbines. Grants for renewable heating systems remain but are due to be superseded in April 2011 by the Renewable Heat Incentive. To qualify for a grant your home must be insulated (270mm in the loft and cavity wall filled) with energy saving light bulbs throughout.
For the latest information on renewable energy systems and incentives, contact the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512 012.
Call 020 8762 6192 for further information on installation of Solar PV systems or visit www.ecovolt.co.uk