Home
Sun power
What
Humans are pretty clever really: we've created ingenious devices to trap the sun's energy here and now, rather than waiting 100's of millions of years for plants to do it for us, through the slow processes of fossil fuel formation.
Power up with solar panels and step into the future, rather than depending on the dinosaurs for home electricity use.
By installing solar PV panels, the typical homeowner saves 1,200 to 1,700 kg CO2 each year,1 whilst also saving a lot of money and gaining energy security.
Why
Unlike the conventional forms of electricity generation, solar PV does not produce any pollution and doesn't depend on extraction of oil, gas or coal. That leaves us with less pollution and more energy security, which has got to be a good thing.
Of course, manufacturing panels does involve some hazardous and toxic substances. But when you consider their full lifetime, the pollution power of solar panels is far lower than that of most alternative energy forms.
How
Let's be honest, this is one of the more complex, committing Do Actions to pledge to. But it's also the most rewarding - both financially and environmentally, perhaps even socially too. We're not going to pretend to be solar installation experts, and so we'll keep the advice here short and sweet, and refer you over to the real experts at YouGen.
- Check you have a suitable spot for solar PV (i.e. do you have a sun-bathed spot to place the panels, ideally facing between south east and south west with them angled at 30 to 40 degrees). If you're in the England, Scotland, or Wales, it's also worth checking if you'll be eligible for the Feed In Tariff (your house needs to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D or higher).
- Find yourself a good MCS accredited installer (MCS is the mark of quality that demonstrates industry standards). YouGen have some great advice on choosing the right installer for you.
- Sit back, relax, and let them do all the hard work.
