“The problem with wind power is the variability of supply. As yet energy that is produced is not being stored. Therefore electricity companies have to keep power stations running as it gets a bit embarrassing to have power cuts because the wind's dropped. So it is likely that wind power (if anyone in the industry can confirm or deny this it would be useful) is only used in the generation of the excess capacity that the power companies provide above the current usage rate to handle spikes in demand.
Due to the high cost of the turbines, many are only feasible due to large subsidies paid for by "green taxes" on electrcity consumption. When too much electricity is being generated, and is unwanted by the National Grid, the owners can be asked to stop supplying electricity. But remember that many turbines are only viable if they keep receiving a subsidy, so the operator is paid NOT to produce it, as is reported here http://tinyurl.com/6l2353j.

Now let's look at the economics of your original sentence. The Energy Saving Trust website estimates that a 3kWp installation will cost around £10,000 to install and could generate 2,500 kWh electricity per year. I'm sure that readers will be chuffed to know that your relative has received such a generous gift from the government in an age of austerity. If only they realised that it came from their taxes... Similarly I'm pleased for your relative that they have saved around £160 on their bill. A quick finger-in-the-air price for electricity is around 14 pence per kWh. This is roughly 1/3 of the 43.3 pence that your relative would have received from their feed-in tariff, about £480. Hang on, where did that £480 come from? As this feed-in tariff information site explains http://tinyurl.com/6ua3u76, "so the bottom line is that people who don't install renewable energy systems pay for those who do!".

A 2011 government report http://tinyurl.com/2349bjp states that 4 million English (18% of all) households are in fuel poverty. This rises to 32% for Scottish homes.

Can't we have the compassion for the poor in this country to drop the subsidies?”

“The solar panels I mentioned were installed by a company called Home Sun. No charge was made for the installation as this is covered by a 25 year lease on the air space above the house roof.

The installation of 16 panels uses its own meter, which on an average day (little cloud cover) registers an input of around 2Kw. On a bright clear day, such as today, although it was cold, the meter was registering 3.8 Kw. There is also a meter inside the house that records the amount of electricity passing through the meter, this is confusing as it used to register what is being used, it now registers the flow both ways and on a bright day when no appliances are being used, this meter registers a 3Kw flow.

A new electronic meter (not the rotating wheel) actually shows how much electricity is flowing back to the grid and a LED flashes to indicate feed in to the grid.
When first installed, the old rotary meter operated backwards and the meter wound itself backwards until it wiped out a whole day's usage. The power company wrote off the loss as it was only for one month before they installed a new meter.
Home Sun uses a mobile phone network that allows the system to keep them up to date on the amount of feed back energy.
It is only when an electric shower, cooker, fire or kettle is used that the feedback falls back and power is drawn from the grid to keep the appliances running.
Night use of electricity is obviously not covered by the panels.
Incidentally it is rather surprising at the high number of solar panels that are now in use, only two houses in my relative's street are not supplied by solar panels. About 20 houses are equipped, (3/4 of the street). A drive around any housing estate now shows a considerable uptake on this technology.”

“Derby_born
Your initial statement was not quite true then, it was a private company's scheme that allowed your relative to get free solar panels. They are offering this as because of the generous feed-in tariffs offered by the government. Home Sun consider it's a better business proposition to fit the panels for free and enjoy the subsidies themselves. As previously mentioned, someone somewhere has to pay, so it falls on everyone else to pick up the tab.
If this is such a great way of saving energy, then perhaps it should be extended to transport. If I was to drive to work tomorrow I estimate that fuel and other running expenses would cost me around £3 for the round trip. I'll use the 1:3 ratio I demonstrated in my previous post. Do you consider it good use of taxpayer's money to pay me £9 to travel to work by bus rather than by car?”

“HarrysCoat, I think you will find that Home Sun is just one of many such companies providing this service. Eon were offering a similar service but the home owner had to pay £100 for the installation.
Also not forgetting that this new industry employed around 50,000 people at one time.

The explanatory notes that came with the Home Sun installation explained that the feed in tariff was paid for by the selling on of excess electricity to the public, so Home Sun become a power generator company, so those of us paying for our electricity will be paying a small percentage of the cost of the electricity being used. This of course reduces the load on power stations during the high peak daytime periods. The Fire Station at Ascot Drive has a large array of panels on its roof, thus cutting the costs of running the service.

On wind power, I see no value from wind turbines, it has already been criticised by the National Grid as being "unreliable".

"The Energy Department has been warned that without this massive back-up for the new generation of heavily subsidised giant wind farms, the lights could go out when the wind dies down".

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/6j4y3dd

I find it unbelievable that the government has approved massive off-shore wind farm developments. These massive WIND turbines will be standing in the most reliable source of energy, Tidal power, which is both reliable and predictable, the idea of wind turbines is incredibly stupid in this situation.”

“We need to get the Government onside, as well as local councils and others, if we are going to stop these wind turbines being built.

Are you disillusioned by rising electricity prices, over dependence on the "green" dream [especially uneconomical and inefficient wind farms] and the destruction of our countryside then please register your objection to the Government by GOOGLING "E-PETITION 22958" and following the link.

Please pass this message on to Councillors, members of your community and anyone else you know to persuade them to sign up too. If you are really concerned about wind turbines please write a letter promoting this petition to your community newsletters and the Editors of your local newspapers.”

“Derby_born,
I'll use the Home Sun website as a reference as it is the one that you mentioned. To state that the feed-in tariff is paid by selling the electricity to the national grid is not true. Home Sun informs that 43.3p is paid for every kWh GENERATED. If there is any surplus that is fed into the grid that an ADDITIONAL payment is made, of 3p per kWh.
I have no problems with solar power per se, but I am against the current system of financing it whereby those who can't take advantage of it are forced to pay for those who can.
Surely a more sensible system for introducing micro solar generation would have been to have made it mandatory on all new build housing. The cost would be added to the price of the house, meaning that it would be the beneficiary who pays, rather than everyone else who doesn't benefit.”

“It should not be forgotten that anyone could have applied for free solar panels, some chose not to apply whilst others, like myself do not have the corrcet geographical alignment to benefit from solar panels.
Properties need roof areas facing south-east to benefit from solar energy, my home faces north-west and is in the wrong direction. However it has been reported that many people who have paid thousands of pounds for installations will never recover the outlay due to insufficient exposure to direct sunlight.”

“"A family member has had solar panels fitted for free".

Is it an all-in-one suit to maximise the solar energy she comes into conatact with or just one large one on her head, like a large mortarboard?”

“B_o_b1, rather a childish comment I fear, I would have expected something a little more intelligent from you.

However the relative I mention is my 83 year old Mother, who along with several of her neighbours, are doing quite well out of the arrangement. I did find it rather amusing that my Mum had to sign a 25 year lease on the air space above her house, As the house is on the flight pathe to the East Midlands Airport I will have to ask Home Sun if they are charging a fee for use of this airspace.
Meanwhile B_o_b1 if you are interested in the idea of having a renewable energy source fixed to your head, why not try this for size http://tinyurl.com/7ehbpb7”

“Apologies Derby_born. A wee jokette on my part. It appears to have landed somewhat wide of the mark though.

I was forgetting that this site is merely for dullness, tedium, fist-waving, bickering and abuse. My humour fell on stoney ground...”

“@B_o_b1
Far from it, I saw your comment as a little bit sarcastic, however if you think the humour was lost on me, I would suggest you look at the link I provided is response, Wind Power?”

“I looked DB. Tres amusant. ;)

And, no, there was no sarcasm in my original comment.”

“Evening all..

Solar panels in the U.K, L.M.A.O..You must think your in California ,ok any body here heard of Geo Thermal Power Production,thought not,Sure you haven't heard of Mad Cow Disease either..Maybe you got fleeced and bought a summer home in Greece,if i told you the Loch Ness Monster is At a Hydro Electric dam called Lady Bower would you buy it..Morale of the story..A lot of suckers in England...And councilors for Derby who have only been in the country for Six Years Illegally..And apparently run this paper..

Lord Whopping Foghole...From the home of the brave and land of the free..the U.S.A.”

“do not know if this free solar panel lark is a con or not.I applied to three companies , none got back to me , but a week or two later i was flooded with e-mails offering them for thousands of pounds.My property does face south and we get the sun on the back from dawn to dusk.”

“@QAKID, I don't believe this is a con, but as you and I have found, there are hundreds of companies trying to sell these panels.
I applied to Home Sun and Eon, for their free panel installations, but was told my house faces the wrong way.
Within a few days I was getting emails and leaflets from Eon telling me that if I paid X£thousand, I could have panels installed, but hey would not recover my investment over the agreed 25 year period, due to the fact my house is in the wrong "geographic orientation". which means I get insufficient sunlight.
My Mum is still getting an average of 5Kw hours of free electricity a day during the winter months.”