8/5/12 - The Green Electrician Group Ltd has introduced a new energy management division called The Green Energy Manager.

The role of The Green Energy Manager will be help schools, businesses and commercial properties to reduce energy use and operational costs.


Services include:

Energy assessments
Monitoring
Education packages

Installation of energy efficiency devices

Installation of renewable energy
Energy procurement
Energy management

For further information contact
Ian Clifford 0845 643 2528
Ian @ thegreenenergymanager.co.uk

As leading UK distributors of Suntech modules, we are delighted to announce that Suntech have improved module efficiency by nearly 1%, increasing average efficiency across the range to 15.4%.

Suntech is the World's largest manufacturer of PV crystalline modules, one in ten of every module installed in the World is a Suntech module.

Suntech Advantage

High efficiency
High performance in weak light (2/3 of yearly irradiation is classified as weak light)
Extended wind and snow load tests
Anti reflective and self cleaning glass
25 year power warranty
Extended 10 year manufacturer warranty


"We have installed over 20,000 Suntech modules in the last year and are proud to be one of the largest distributors of Suntech modules in the UK. We are very impressed with the results that our customers are reporting, these modules perform consistently better than official output predictions," said Claire Davies, marketing director, "over a 25 year investment period this means a significantly higher return than many standard modules."

3/4/12 - We can now check Customers potential energy rating for free using the Energy Saving Trust Home Energy Check.

The service enables us to input details of customers' properties and get a provisional Energy Performance rating from A to G. Althernatively, customers can use the service themselves.

"The Home Energy Check is a great service for domestic customers looking to install solar PV. In order to recieve the full feed-in tariff, customers need to hold an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) level D. The home checker is a great way of checking what a customer's likely level is before paying for a full EPC, this indicates how close they are to receiving the full tariff," said The Green Electrician marketing director, Claire Davies.

The Home Energy Check also provides suggestions on improving your EPC rating such as installing Solar PV, insulation, double glazing and heating controls.

To use the Home Energy Check visit Energy Saving Trust

30/3/12 - Recent amendments to the Permitted Development Rights (PDR) mean that planning permissions will not be required to install solar PV or solar thermal on non domestic buildings from the 6th April this year. Similarly, ground mounted systems with an area smaller than 9m2 will be exempt from planning requirements. Instillations will still need to comply with certain construction and aesthetic requirements.

Roof mounted solar
A roof-mounted solar system must not protrude more than 200mm from the roof/wall surface it is mounted on. There is an exception to this is if the system is on a flat roof, where the solar PV must be less than 1m in height above the highest part of the flat roof excluding any chimneys.

The roof-mounted solar installation must also be more than 1m away from the external edge of the roof or the joint of the wall that it is on and if the system is situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty, or land with similar restrictions (article 1(5) then the solar cannot be on a roof slope or wall fronting the highway.

Furthermore, planning permission is required if the solar is on a listed building, on a building within the curtilage of a listed building or upon a site designated as a scheduled ancient monument.

Further conditions
•The solar equipment must, so far as practicable, be sited so as to minimise its effect on the external appearance of the building;
•The solar equipment must, so far as practicable, be sited so as to minimise its effect on the amenity of the area; and
•Solar equipment no longer needed for micro generation must be removed as soon as reasonably practicable

The Green Electrician, one of the UK’s leading solar PV and energy saving specialists, announces the launch of Energy Efficiency Financing to help assist all types of organisations with the cost of implementing energy efficient measures.

The scheme, which has been put together in a joint venture by Carbon Trust Implementation Services and Siemens Financial Services, seeks to improve access to finance for energy efficient projects; so that organisations can afford to install the energy efficient equipment they need straight away.

The financing option is convenient, fast, and designed so that most projects can finance themselves as the repayments are calculated so that they are offset by the anticipated energy savings achieved from the energy efficient equipment purchased.

Rupert Higgin of The Green Electrician comments: “Investing in renewable energy efficient technology makes sound business and environmental sense.  The scheme is affordable and flexible and helps organisations, however big or small, save money, reduce energy waste and ultimately become greener. 

The scheme offers finance options to all types of organisations from as little as £1,000 and, assuming the proposed Energy Efficiency Financing Project passes the energy saving assessment by Carbon Trust Implementation, there is no upper limit.  And once the payments have been made, savings should continue to be realised year after year.

Energy Efficiency Financing is available to businesses and organisations from sole traders and partnerships through to large corporates, local authorities and other public sector organisations.

6/3/12 - Rupert Higgin, MD The Green Electrician, reports back from Germany after a meeting with Suntech Power, the world's largest manufacturer of Solar Panels.

Why have panel prices gone down? "The majority of solar panel manufacturers across the globe are now losing money or making minimal returns because of the growth in number of manufacturers and having to compete at lower margins so that they are no longer profitable. Prices have been pushed down but they have reached unsustainable levels.  Silicon prices have reached record lows and have now turned to go back up as silicon manufacturers have gone out of business leaving fewer manufacturers.

What does that mean to the UK solar panel prices? "The UK is a tiny market within the PV world and has little influence on the global PV market. However what is clear is that our manufacturer prices will not go down, so any further reduction is unlikely unless UK installers, who have already cut their prices dramatically, can further squeeze their margins."

Why does the Government say prices will go down? "Contrary to Government reports, there is no likelihood of solar panel prices dropping further as manufacturers simply do not have the margins to cut prices again. UK installers have already reduced their margins to encourage growth and balance returns in the face of lower tariffs, these low margins are unsustainable, therefore we do not see any further drops in kit prices between now and the end of June when further tariffs cuts are expected.

New Renewable Energy joint venture set up in Pembrokeshire.

The Green Electrician, one of the UK’s leading solar PV and energy saving specialists, is set to expand into South Wales as a result of a new joint venture formed with Milford Haven Port Authority in Pembrokeshire. Working together the aim is to improve access to energy efficient technologies for homes and businesses throughout South Wales. 

The new company, headquartered in Pembrokeshire, sees the UK’s “energy port” for the first time significantly turn its attention towards the opportunities presented by renewable energy. 

One of the business’ first tasks has been to install over £1.25 million of photovoltaic (PV) panels on port and port tenant buildings across Milford Docks, Pembroke Port and Cedar Court in Milford Haven.  The installation, which includes Wales’ single largest integrated roof top array on the Phoenix Bowl at Milford Docks, will reduce the port’s carbon emissions by the equivalent of taking over 57,000 cars off the road. 

Alec Don, Chief Executive of Milford Haven Port, comments: “This is a fantastic opportunity to extend the reach of renewable energy in South Wales.  The positive effect will be immediate with the creation of new jobs for the region and the installation of solar panels on our buildings which will significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

The government has confirmed that solar PV modules could contribute to a building's energy efficiency rating, making it easier for properties that install solar panels to qualify for feed-in tariff incentives.

Under recent changes to the solar feed-in tariff scheme, anyone wishing to register for the solar electricity feed-in tariff from 1 April must obtain a Level D Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) on their property.

Now the government has provided a further boost to the solar sector by confirming that solar PV installations will themselves contribute towards to EPC certificates. This means that some Band E properties will be able to upgrade themselves to Band D by installing a solar panel, making them eligible for the feed-in tariff incentives without the need for additional energy efficiency improvements.

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2153296/solar-pv-help-meet-band

The Department of Energy & Climate Change has today announced plans to bring greater stability and transparency to the renewable energy sector.

The key findings are:

• A tariff of 21p/kWh will take effect from 1st April this year for domestic-size solar panels with an eligibility date on or after 3rd March 2012.  Other tariff reductions apply for larger installations.  
• Properties installing solar panels on or after 1st April this year will now be required to produce an Energy Performance Certificate rating of ‘D’ or above to qualify for a full FIT. The DECC estimate’s that about half of all properties are already eligible for a ‘D’ rating.
• From 1st April 2012, new ‘multi-installation’ tariff rates will be set at 80% of the standard tariffs for individuals or organisations receiving FITs from 25 or more installations.  
• DECC is now consulting on a proposal that social housing, community projects and distributed energy schemes be exempt from these multi-installation tariff rates.

To read a full version of the Government’s announcement click here.

Rupert Higgin, managing director of The Green Electrician, comments: “For a long time the industry has been calling for stability and transparency.  By tying the subsidy levels into industry growth we believe we now have a framework which should encourage investment in the future. 

“We would however urge the Government to move quickly and positively and conclude its remaining consultation so that social and community projects are able to fully realise the benefits of solar PV.

26/1/12 - The Government has turned itself inside out to sabotage the solar industry again but launching yet another appeal following yesterday's (Wednesday, 25 January) result when the High Court threw out the Government Appeal which ruled against the fast track cuts, effetively reinstating the original tariffs until 3rd March 2012. 

To avoid confusion, all calculations on your solar panel investment must be based on the revised Government Tariffs.   See our FIT page for details of current tariff levels. If the Government loses this next review then payments will be backdated for customers installing before 3rd March 2012.

The Government will appeal to the Supreme Court. It is felt this could be a further ploy to discourage uptake of solar panels and it is unclear why the Government will seek to draw this process out further. Subsequent appeals have less chance of success but serve as a useful governmental delaying tactic.

The Green Electrician says:
We feel it is correct that the Government action in cutting the feed-in tariff without proper consultation has been shown to be illegal. This fast track action damaged consumer confidence and solar businesses throughout the UK, and the Court announcement, we hoped, would stop them from acting with such careless disregard in the future, however this has proved not to be the case.