Our Blogs

As businesses start to get up and running again, there’s a renewed focus on the UK’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. By investing in the right technology, companies can support this by lowering their carbon emissions, alongside saving on their energy bills.

Low Carbon Workspaces wants to aid businesses in this transition and is offering grants of up to £5,000 to invest in carbon-saving upgrades. This could be a grant for solar panels, battery storage, insulation, EVs or lighting.

Grants are available for SMEs based in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, ranging from £1,000 - £5,000 to cover up to a third of the cost of energy improvements. The scheme is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.

Love them or loathe them, SAP requirements are a key part of building new homes. We know how tricky it can be to meet the regulations for energy performance and CO₂ reductions. But as solar panel installers with long standing partnerships in construction, we’re determined to help you meet SAP requirements with solar PV as simply as possible.

Some of our clients are surprised to learn that there can be limits on the number of solar panels they can get on their roof, beyond the obvious physical and cost limitations. In fact, for solar PV systems over a certain size, grid permission is needed before installation can go ahead.

In this post, we’ll explore how many solar panels you’re allowed to install without prior permission, and how we can help you determine the maximum possible allowance for your property.

Last year saw the Feed-in Tariff closed to new applicants, leaving a very different landscape to the heady days of 2010, when the Feed-in Tariff scheme was first launched and the subsidy was around 43p per kWh. In October, solar tax rates also got a shakeup, meaning not every installation is eligible for 5% VAT. So, are solar panels worth it today?

Speaking purely from a financial point of view, the answer is a resounding yes. Of course beyond the financial, there are many other environmental benefits to be gained from installing solar, installing residential battery storage, driving an electric vehicle etc. Not least because they all contribute directly or indirectly to tackling air pollution and the climate crisis.

Back to the financials. The solar subsidy may have fallen, but so has the cost of the technology. Overall the cost of domestic solar electricity is now around 8p per kWh. This is well below the 16p average domestic import cost from the grid (which, by the way, increased by 6% in the last 12 months...).

As of Wednesday 10th June, the UK hit a huge milestone of going two months without burning any coal for electricity generation. This is due to a combination of the reduced national energy consumption since the start of lockdown and the high investment in renewable energy over the past decade. Approximately 800,000 homes now have solar PV installed, helping to contribute to the decarbonisation of the grid, while also reducing their energy bills.

As electricity generation continues to decarbonise, the next logical step is for the transport sector to shift away from fossil fuels and towards electric vehicles. Over the past couple of months, the number of vehicles sold has dropped considerably. Electric and hybrid vehicles, however, feature more heavily than usual in the ‘top 10 models sold’ and more Tesla Model 3s have been sold over the past two months than any other car.

With the number of homes generating their own clean energy via solar PV and the number of electric vehicles on the road growing, we thought we’d take some time to analyse the benefits of pairing a domestic solar PV system with an electric car to quantify the potential financial savings.

It’s an understatement to say that this year has changed the way we work. Nationwide lockdown, remote working, travel restrictions… there have been many adjustments for us all. As lockdown eases, more people are expected to drive to the office, particularly as we’re encouraged to avoid trains and buses.

But is there a way you can support your staff’s safe travel, without adding more pollution to an atmosphere that has experienced a welcome reprieve?

Here’s why there has never been a better time to invest in company electric cars and infrastructure for employee EVs.

Offices, shops, schools and other premises across the country have been shuttered or only partially open since the lockdown. In an undoubtedly difficult time, many organisations are looking to save money. This could be the perfect opportunity to look at improvements to your company’s energy use, investing in efficient technology to reduce your energy costs in the long term.

Here are a few things we can help with to make your energy usage greener and more cost-effective.

A couple of months ago, we announced that we would be offering our free CPD training online during the coronavirus restrictions. Since then we’ve been running sessions and have been astounded by the interest and enthusiasm from people keen to learn about renewable technologies - and pick up some new skills in lockdown.

Spirit recently installed solar PV at the new home of one of our sales team. Since there’s no better way to live and breathe the technology than through personal experience, Mark shares his take on the process of installing SunPower panels with an integrated GSE mounting system.