No North-South divide when it comes to Solar benefits
After retiring, Neil Dixon moved to a three bedroom detached bungalow in County Durham and set about ensuring that the house was as energy efficient as possible to help protect himself from escalating energy bills.
Having upgraded the home’s insulation, Mr Dixon looked at a range of renewable energy and energy saving technologies that he could fit to his property including hydropower, geothermal and wind turbine systems. After much research, he concluded that the best solution for his home was a roof-based solar electricity system.
“I was really interested in reducing the energy costs for our new home and researched what the most effective solution would be,” said Mr Dixon.
“Solar electricity seemed to be the best for us and we made enquiries with a number of companies. It was interesting to see the differences from both a cost, knowledge and service perspective.
“The beauty of the solar option is that, as well as reducing our electricity bills by over £200 per year, we have also been able to benefit from the Feed-in Tariff payments, which provide us with a guaranteed index-linked return on our investment which is better than any current savings plan out there that I am aware of,” said Mr Dixon.
After receiving quotes from three companies, Mr Dixon chose Enact Energy and, following a home assessment, decided on a 14 panel 3.29kWp solar electricity system with a Sunny Boy SB3000 inverter and Sharp panels.
“Having spoken to a number of companies we found the level of service and knowledge from Enact to be excellent. From initial enquiry and home assessment through to the installation service the whole process was very straightforward and well done.”
“We are delighted with the system we opted for, have reduced our electricity bills and are receiving our Feed-in Tariff payments. In addition, we have had a lot of interest from other homeowners who have knocked on our door asking our opinion on solar energy,” he added.
John Moores of Enact Energy believes that Mr Dixon’s positive experience shows that homeowners in the North can also enjoy the benefits of solar power.
“There is a perception that solar electricity is not as viable in the north of the country, but Mr Dixon is a great example of how homeowners can prove this wrong. While homes in the South do receive more sunshine hours, the difference is not that great and there are more than enough daylight hours further north to make solar a really effective energy resource particularly given the benefits of the Feed-in Tariff,” he said.
Solar electricity offers an opportunity to save and earn a guaranteed tax-free annual income. A property installing a typical 3.91kWp system can expect to earn up to £1,500 per year over 25 years.^
To find out more about the benefits of solar energy, visit www.enactenergy.com or call 0800 093 40 50.
^Indicative based on a typical south-facing 3.91kWp system. Total figure based on savings and earnings from current Feed-in Tariff Sept 2011 (Generation Tariff of 43.3p per kWh and Export Tariff of 3.1p per kWh). The system’s inverter will need to be replaced within 25 years of Feed-in Tariff payments at a cost of around £1,000 (approximate cost as at Sept 2011 but subject to price and market variations at the time of purchase). Subject to terms & conditions available on request or online.
