Solar Panels - Top Renewable Energy

A brand new research paper into the public’s energy saving desires states that home renewable energy technologies such as solar panels are considered to be ideal technology to improve energy efficiency in the home. The research released by the Energy Saving Trust, found that installing solar panels or other renewable energy systems was the preferred solution for reducing energy if cost and hassle were taken out of consideration. Most of the 2,000 respondents put this ahead of wall and loft insulation and draught excluders, despite 44% claiming to live in homes with draught problems.

David Weatherall from the Energy Saving Trust in the UK, stated: “Our homes are in better shape than a decade ago. Millions of cavity walls have been insulated in recent years and virtually no totally uninsulated lofts remain. We’ve now got to address leaky homes, encourage more people with suitable homes to invest in renewables. The bottom line is homeowners will benefit from improving their property’s energy performance.”The research paper shows that living in cold, draughty and damp homes is a massive motivator for homeowners to take action and that renewable technology like solar panels is the option that gets them most excited.The paper also points out that if households are considering making energy saving improvements to their home like installing solar panels then now is the time to take action in preparation for the winter months and colder temperatures.  It is also more cost effective to take action now when the industry is traditionally slower and the weather is more conducive to installing solar panels.The Energy Saving Trust estimates UK households could save around £5bn a year through making simple changes to their energy use and investing in home renewables such as solar panels, it states the installation of solar panels to south facing detached and semi-detached homes will save over £3bn a year alone.The survey also states that 60% of the respondents would be interested in installing a renewable energy system like solar panels for their home if they received income and savings of between £750 and £1,500 a year. It also states that 59% of people would be more likely to consider buying or renting a home that has renewable energy systems like solar panels installed compared to one that doesn’t have any solar panels.The popularity of solar panels in particular is evident in the latest figures from NPD Solarbuzz, which shows that residential projects make up 33% of the UK’s 5GW installed capacity.more info here: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk