solar power in the community
Hello everybody!
I am interested to know your thoughts on community solar power projects.
With help from the feed-in tariff it's a good time to invest in solar power.
But what I'd love to know is your thoughts on this; Ethical Solar are installing the greenest, most ethical panel on the market. This panel is not only manufactured in Europe through the power of renewable energy alone, it is also 'restored/recycled'. Solar cells with slight anomalies that used to end up in smelters and wasted can be restored to their maximum capacity. This not only makes these systems a lot cheaper to install and cost effective, they also have a much smaller payback of each system to as low as 1 year.
All your feedback and concerns will be welcome I am just really interested to know how the industry is percieved from a transition perspective. Do you think solar power is a good move? Is it something energy groups are looking into? What are the challenges? Where do transition groups need support?
Look forward to hearing from you all!
Many thanks
Anna
Yes, if promoting renewables, we have to be cautious what we are promoting. Ethics of products and the processes that go into making them.
TL have been using AES for Solar Thermal for some time now. Made in the Findhorn Eco village. Tried and tested technology, with good ethics behind the company. But bottom line, copper and aluminium need to come from somewhere.
What's important is to try your best, as there's no perfect product, and also to have the confidence to say NO if it's just not appropriate. Ie installing purely for financial gain and not doing the basic energy saving/insulating first. Or fitting STH when they have electric showers and are just using the hot water for taps. Renewables are not for everyone and every house.
TL have fitted over 120 STH panels in the last year and are working our way to the first 20 PV panels with many more to come.
Solar power isn't perfect, but it has a double benefit.
1. it's visible and insights and motivates that Prospecting sector of society who wish to be like others and to follow trends/fashion etc. There's a ripple effect once you get the first few installed in town.
2. generating energy on your door-step with a meter showing live numbers helps to drive a mindset change of using the power when it's available, and that just doesn't happen with many other forms of remote energy generation, even if renewable, like a community wind turbine. To actually see the kWh reading, allows you to think about the sunshine/clouds and to plan for use accordingly to maximise the investment.
So yes, even up in Scotland, PV is good. Not perfect, but it has a lot more of an impact on the mind and behaviour than other technologies and this is something that few consider.
Hope that helps Anna.