As our company approaches its 50th solar PV installation we have begun to get a feel for why people want solar power.
- For some it is the environmental card – I want to be part of the renewable energy revolution and set an example to my children.
- Others just like the idea of producing their own electricity and having a measure of energy independence (though we don’t advocate anyone going right ‘off-grid’).
- There are of course the early adopters, techies and gadget people who recognise solar as part of the ‘internet of things’ and like to see what they are producing from their phone or tablet.
It is probably only a few who have taken the really long term view and simply thought, “why don’t we buy 25-30 years’ worth of electricity now because the future price is only going one way”?
So when people talk about payback, we talk about the ‘levelised cost of power’ i.e. the price of installing solar power divided by the number of electricity units the system will produce over its 25 year warranty lifetime. For a typical house that is currently under 7p, or less than half your current rate.
Ian Brandon – February 2018
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