Solar home technology allows unused renewable energy storage in batteries, cars & hot water cylinders and small amount returns to Smart Export Guarantee grid

The rise of renewables in the UK, Europe and beyond is quickening. Homeowners will choose solar energy for many reasons and undoubtedly, the one shared aim is to save money.

Over the years there have been some schemes and incentives that have helped people do the right thing and rewarded them for doing so. And yet 12 years after the last Labour government introduced what we all know as 'the feed in tariff scheme' I still meet people who would now like a battery for their solar systems and the solar owner still does not understand how their systems work.

Many think they are just generating energy to go back down the grid for which they are paid by their energy company. When in fact, they have free energy to use as they like in their own homes!

And it isn't easy sometimes, trying to explain that they have been living a lie. It's like meeting a regular reader of certain national newspapers who actually believe that they've taken back control!

They are being paid for what they have generated, with an assumption that 50% of the energy has gone down the grid. Basically, people are being paid to provide meter readings to energy companies about solar generation so we can gather data and understand the power of solar in different parts of the UK, different angled roofs and different directions. All that data is recorded every three months so people like me can tell those without solar what would actually happen if they did have solar! We now can predict with great certainty how much energy a roof could generate over the course of a year.

All energy that comes into your house from a solar system is yours to use. A 4kw system, comprising 10 x 400w panels will generate close to 4,000kwh a year. If you're paying 30p/kwh from your energy company, then that's £1,200 worth of electricity per year.

Under the current Smart Export Guarantee scheme, anything you don't use goes back down the grid and all energy companies have been mandated to pay you for that energy. When the SEG was introduced a few years ago, it was set at 'more than 0p/kwh’ That meant that energy companies could set their own tariff and yes, some tried to get away with as little as 0.01p/kwh for anything that is exported.

When the scheme started, our own trade body kept a table of those paying the least and it didn't take long for the likes of Shell to change to the tariff after a social media firestorm named and shamed them into offering their customers more.

As it stands today, some companies offer 3p/kwh exported and the best fixed deal is around 7.5p/kwh exported. And as you can see that's considerably less than what they charge you when you buy from them! So it makes sense to use as much of the energy you generate as the value is greater when you use it, than when you sell it.

Let's take a look at how solar energy, as well as the tariffs have evolved over the years:

• The first patent at the US Patent Office for a cell that generates electricity was registered in 1888;

• NASA started the first use of silicon solar cells in the late 1950s so they could power satellites in space;

• Telstar, the first solar powered satellite was launched in 1962 and in 1967 Soyuz 1 became the first manned spacecraft. It was powered by solar cells;

• Governments around the world have been giving incentives to encourage the take up of low carbon energy since President Carter introduced the first feed in tariff scheme in 1978. It didn't last long, it only paid 'peanuts';

• The UK was the 68th country worldwide to introduce a cash back scheme (FITs) which rewards homeowners and businesses for generating electricity. We were also the last of the then 27 EU members to do so...;

• Since the worldwide introduction of feed in tariffs, solar PV prices have dropped over 75% since 2010;

• In March 2019, the UK FiTs came to an end;

• April 2019, energy companies now pay for metered export to the grid, it's called The Smart Export Guarantee.

So as you can see, solar energy isn't new, it's just got clever. Today, the technology going into people's houses allows unused energy to be stored in batteries, cars and hot water cylinders, and a very small amount goes back to the grid.

And in the winter months, when solar gain is low, the smart solar owners are buying cheap rate energy at night and charging up their battery. That energy can then be used in the house during the day when solar gain is low and demand is high.

Solar homeowners really are making every day a sun day, filling up for free, living the lithium lifestyle and turning daylight, into money!

#solarlove

Kevin Holland