solar cells

[lightoftruth]

What with fuel and energy prices going thorugh the roof i am considering having solar cells fitted to my roof. What sort of costs should i be looking at to supply your average househoulds energy. Also is it true that you can get a portion payed for by the government.

[kempie]

FAQs from the Energy Saving Trust

Info about the DTI�s low carbon buildings programme.

[Catso]

I (roughly) costed this up earlier this year. The sort of installation that was feasible for my house was about �10k. Yes, you can get grants, but they seem to be a bit intermittent - they run for a while, then stop. So you may have to wait until a new programme starts to get a grant.

However, what stopped me was that even with the current high energy prices, it would have taken about 25 years to break even. I might not be living here in 25 years, or I could even be dead. If I had to borrow to pay for it, I doubt it would ever break even!

Actually solar heating was a much more cost effective way of 'gathering' energy, this had a pay-back of about 15 years.

Also, I tend to think that, long term, gas prices will continue to rise (just because there are only finite supplies) , but electricity probably won't rise as much. So an alternate source of heating may be a better bet that a source of electricity.

I think the biggest problem at the moment is the high capital costs.

[Peter Pedant]

The cost argument is as above.
It has been around for a long time viz, you never recoup the start up costs, even if you take a very long term view.

This was first shown around 1970 when the first generation cells and solar panels were produced.

But doing it makes you feel good and green