The growing Solar industry in the UK has seen significant uncertainty over the past few months whilst the position of the Government Feed in Payments have been debated through the well publicised court case and subsequent appeal following the early reduction last year.

Read the full written ministerial statement on the DECC website

Unfortunately this latest update doesn’t bring final clarity to the position on the level of tariff available over the next few months.

Reg Illingworth, MD of Altereco commented on the statement by DECC; “It is disappointing that we don’t have a final resolution to this issue which is proving very confusing for consumers who want to invest in this renewable technology.

At Altereco we feel that it is very important for us to source the best value solar PV equipment to give the biggest opportunity to the greatest number of people to achieve true energy independence.

We know that we can provide excellent value and returns on investment even with a feed in tariff of 21 pence. We welcome the challenges of moving solar PV towards grid parity.

As we get closer to grid parity there will be more and more households producing their own electricity with fewer families experiencing the fuel poverty that the big 6 suppliers are imposing on them.”

To be kept up to date with information on the Feed-in-Tariff or general information on Renewable Energy contact the team at Altereco on 08456 718 441.

Maximising the green credentials of your household or commercial building means more than just using renewable technologies to generate energy.  In order to make a building truly green it is also necessary to minimise energy waste through problems such as poor insulation.

Thermal imaging is a service that can help you analyse heat waste whatever the size or type of building. Using infrared technology you can see the areas of a building that are the most energy efficient, and the areas that could most benefit from improvement.

Thermal imaging can work well in conjunction with government Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), offering a clear method of visualising the detail often included in an EPC. EPCs must be supplied for every building constructed, sold or rented out that uses energy to “condition an indoor climate” (e.g. heating, air-conditioning).

EPC categorise certified buildings from A-G on a sliding scale, with A as the most energy efficient and G as the least. In order to qualify for the Feed In Tariff scheme under Department of Energy and Climate Change rules a property will probably need to achieve band C or above as of April 2012.  Thermal Imaging could help you to optimise you energy performance and prepare your building or property to make the most out of renewable energy instalments.

Altereco can offer a comprehensive service helping you reduce your carbon footprint and save money at the same time.

To find out more about this new service from Altereco or general advice on all aspects of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy call them on 08456 718 441

Launched in 1999, the Buy With Confidence scheme, was commissioned and set up by the Local Authority Trading Standards Services and offers consumers access to a list of businesses that have made a pledge to trade fairly and openly.

In order to join the Buy With Confidence scheme, businesses must undergo a series of detailed background checks and provide references from previous customers before gaining approval. Once the required standards have been met company conduct will continue to be monitored by the scheme.

Altereco already operate under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), a government initiative designed to promote good practice standards for renewable energy installations on a nationwide basis.

With 15 years trading experience Altereco aim to provide customers with a friendly and professional service and we are proud to build on an excellent track record of customer satisfaction

Reg Illingworth MD of Altereco said of the award “We are really pleased to be the first renewable energy company to have been awarded membership of this scheme.  It confirms our commitment to the provision of quality alternative energy products and services to our customers across the South West.”

To find out more about our full range of Alternative Energy Services contact us on 08456 718 441   

Every solar company must provide their customers with an annual estimated yield along with cash figures for what they can expect to receive. SAP calculations are based on average UK weather figures, in fact these figures are based on data from Sheffield which is the UK average latitude. For those of us who live South of Sheffield, especially in areas such as the South West of England, Devon and Cornwall, the hours and intensity of sunlight are considerably more favourable to solar power. Combine this with the latest significant developments in panel efficiency in recent months, and see that it is therefore unsurprising that the generalised SAP estimates are frequently being surpassed by modern panels. The data still needs to catch up with the technology!

Some cowboy installers have been reprimanded by MCS officials after reports that they were severely overstating the amounts that could be earned through Feed-in Tariffs. Good news then for the rest of us that the real calculations are on the conservative side, even though they can seem to good to be true!

This report comes amid widespread recommendations from the solar industry to not delay in installing solar panels, as solar subsidies are on track to be seriously reduced in April 2012.

Read the Guardian article here.

Read the report of the initial study here.

Breaking news today in the Financial Times suggests that the UK government’s Feed-in Tariff review, currently set for April 2012, could be brought forward in a bid to stifle demand following the enormous success of the scheme since it was launched in April 2010. Indications from the government Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) suggest that they wish to divert investment in the extensive roll out of domestic solar across the UK and focus on larger scale renewables such as tidal and offshore wind energy.

Whilst this sounds like an acceptable argument, it is totally at odds with the repeated statements made previously by the government that it wishes to protect and uphold the UK solar market.

There are several articles on the web today, including the Financial Times (see link below), which suggest that the government will be reviewing the Feed-in Tariffs ahead of the April 2012 date, perhaps even as early as next week.

Reg Illingworth of Altereco says: “This is certainly bad news for the solar industry. The government have promised something to people, who are finally catching on to the enormous benefits of going solar, and now they are going back on their word. This doesn’t help to instil confidence in the industry for the consumers who are strapped for cash in these tough economic times.”

Mr Illingworth does stress however, that Altereco is trying to focus on the positives. “We know that the industry has suffered from setbacks in the past but we are hoping that at Altereco we can be resilient against these blows. We are not merely a solar company, we also supply and install low carbon heating solutions such as air source heat pumps, which hopefully will help our business to survive in these uncertain times.”

The message that Altereco wish to convey is, if you want to take advantage of the high tariffs currently offered for solar, don’t delay, as they could be gone earlier than we thought. They also want to assure anyone who has already plugged in a solar installation, that there has been no mention of changing the tariffs for people who are already signed up to the scheme.

Watch this space for more information.

Read the Financial Times article here

Read the Westminster Blog article here

Read the ClickGreen article here

Read today’s very balanced article on solar PV by Simon Lambert on thisismoney.co.uk here

We have uploaded this excellent consumer guidance in order to help you become better informed on the Feed-in Tariffs. This impartial advice will help you get to grips with the ins and outs of the scheme, especially noting that the Feed-in Tariffs are set to change in April 2012. This means that if you are considering solar, it would be wise to do it sooner rather than later, as the tariffs will be decreasing, meaning you will get less financial payback over the 25 year term of your agreement.

The REAL assurance scheme is a code of standards to which all MCS accredited installers must adhere. It is a part of our work which Altereco take very seriously as we strive to provide the best service to our customers. If you have any further questions about this article or would like a quote for solar on your property, please contact us on 08456 718 441 or use the Altereco contact form. We look forward to hearing from you!

You can download the PDF here.

The article, entitled ‘Solar Sense?’, was published in the September/October 2011 edition of the Resident Landlord Association and provides an overview of the government backed Feed-in Tariff, and explains why landlords should be wise to the financial opportunities that are currently available to them.

We have recently been delighted that two prominent landlords in the Bristol and Bath area have recently commissioned Altereco to install solar PV on their rental properties. Angus and Fiona Macaskill are student landlords in Bristol with approximately 40 houses which they equip with the highest standard of insulation and appliances. Their lucky tenants will benefit from free daytime electricity while the Macaskills claim the generous Feed-in Tariff payments. (Read Angus’ testimonial in our Case Studies section.) The other landlord, who is Bath-based, is getting his first installation done this week with hopefully another to follow if all goes well.

As the article suggests, we may be seeing an increase in the number of landlords who are going down the eco route. ”These days tenants are going more out of their way to find the landlords who are making the extra effort to ensure their houses are draught proofed and energy efficient” says Ferrow. “It’s great that more landlords are getting on board with energy efficient measures, especially as we see an increasingly environmentally-aware young sector of society who are priced out of the buying market. If a landlord is willing to make improvements like this to his property then it is likely to always be extremely highly sought after.”

You can read the article here

Available through the Energy Saving Trust, the much anticipated Renewable Heat Premium Payments are mainly geared towards homeowners who are not on the mains gas network and will become available from the 1st August 2011. These grants are limited to £15m in total so will be allocated on a first come first served basis, with £3m being set aside for social housing landlords to improve their housing stock.

Once a successful application has been made, the homeowner will have until the 31st March 2012 to install an eligible system and then will receive the payment. This scheme is a prelude to the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive which will be launched next year; the full scheme will feature tariff payments to owners of energy efficient heating systems - much like the Feed in Tariffs now available for electricity generated by renewable means such as solar PV.

The government hopes this will give people the incentive they need to act today and ditch their inefficient and expensive oil boilers and outdated electric heaters for low carbon alternatives. At Altereco we are delighted that the scheme is going ahead and are more than willing to offer help and advice for those considering a new heating system.

The figures are as follows:

• Ground Source Heat Pump – £1250 grant (for homes without mains gas heating)
• Biomass boiler – £950 (for homes without mains gas heating)
• Air Source Heat Pumps – £850 grant (for homes without mains gas heating)
• Solar thermal hot water panels – £300 grant (available to all households regardless of the type of heating system used) 

For more information, you may find the following links very helpful.

DECC Press Release 21st July 2011

Energy Saving Trust Premium Payment Application

Renewable Heat Premium Payment Factsheet

Even if you’re not a customer of Scottish Power, it won’t be long before the other power companies begin to increase their prices too. The recent crises in Libya and Japan have put real pressure on energy supply worldwide. So how best to combat these price hikes and safeguard yourself from the unpredictability of world energy supplies?

Why not create your own energy? With solar PV panels, you could be producing a significant proportion of your daily electricity usage from a clean, green, safe supply which is inexhaustable; the Sun has shone for millions of years and will continue to do so for millions more! The upfront cost of the solar installation is the biggest hurdle, but thanks to the Feed-in Tariffs, you could have paid off the costs within 8 or 9 years, or perhaps even sooner if the price of electricity continues to rise. Essentially, you are buying clean electricity for tomorrow at today’s prices. And the Feed-in Tariff means you will be paid to do so!

So what are you waiting for? Don’t miss a solar summer, call us on 08456 718 441 to get a quote for solar PV today.