Solar Power

Solar power is the way we harness the energy from the Sun to produce heat and electricity, and as the Sun's energy is free, all it costs is the initial cost of installing the solar collecting equipment.

This equipment comes in two forms, Solar Thermal and Solar P.V. (Photovoltaic), both can be used for heating but only solar PV can produce electricity.

• Solar Thermal
  This type of equipment uses a solar panel to collect heat from the Sun, The energy from the Sun heats a liquid flowing through pipes within the solar panel, these pipes then run into your hot water tank, and heat the cold water.
  The benefit of this is that your conventional heating system will not have to do so much work and in the long run, and can reduce your utility bill.
  
  
• Solar PV (Photovoltaic)
  This type of equipment is what people generally regard as a solar panel, this solar panel produces electricity from the Sun, this connected to an immersion heater in your hot water tank will warm the cold water (as with Solar Thermal) and reduces the work that your main heating system, and therefore can reduce the fuel bill.

For information about grants and funding please refer to The Low Carbon Buildings Programme link (to the left of this page).