“Feeling inspired by the recent Channel 4 series ‘Live from space’, I remember being influenced by the construction of the International Space Station (ISS) a decade ago which ultimately contributed to my enthusiasm for PV solar panels (photovoltaic).”

The most prestigious solar panel installation on Earth, or not, showed me that you don’t have to be connected to the grid in theory and also in practice.

Now for clarity, I am not saying every home can live off-grid solely on solar panel power alone because there are two main differences between the ISS and your semi-detached.

Firstly, on Earth we are subject to seasonal changes with below cloud-level weather differences, and in most cases, the amount of space available to accommodate solar panels is limited here on Earth.

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The pro’s and cons of installing ‘free’ PV solar panels (photovoltaic) to your home have furiously debated.

The industry as a whole, but there seems to be real evidence now that they may have been too good to be true for some households.

What generating free power with PV solar panels feels like?

If you have a free system in your home, then you need to be aware of recent feedback coming through from others who installed free solar panels too.

Although we have always preached on the side of caution, the news that Natwest, Nationwide and the Yorkshire banks are not dispensing mortgages on homes with free PV solar panels could come as a shock to some. (more…)

“The UK has reached a remarkable milestone with over half a million PV (photovoltaic) solar panel installations confirmed today, but will you be in time to benefit from this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Timing is everything when installing PV solar panels.

Some people view others as being lucky; I say it’s all about timing and being in the right place at the right time.

If you’re reading this now, then you too can be lucky enough to be installing solar panels at just the right time.

Throughout my ten years of working with PV solar panels, I have always preached relentlessly that its best to install sooner, rather than later, but never has this been so true as it is right now. (more…)

If you are pondering whether to install PV solar panels (photovoltaic), then this is the time to decide and maximise your investment.

There’s nothing more powerful than when PV’s time has come.

There are very few purchases in life which stay with you for three decades and even fewer which still benefit you, so unless you scoot down to the shops in a Austin Princess, then you will undoubtedly know what I mean.

The key to maximizing PV solar panels potential is to install early and receive the feed-in tariff while it’s still around.

The early bird catches the word and this has never been so true when discussing solar panels today.

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“Just like the supermarkets a week before Christmas, the PV solar panel (photovoltaic) installation industry is now going through a frenzy of demand.”

Sooner rather than later where PV solar panels are concerned!

We have seen this boom and bust scenario many times since the feed-in tariffs were initially introduced in 2011, with smaller spikes in demand and seen on a regular basis.

The side of the story you don’t hear is that the reason that PV solar incentives are being reduced is that the overall costs of an average photovoltaic installation have been reducing year to year.

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As someone who has relentlessly been ‘singing the praises’ of PV solar panel installations since 2004, I have seen many solar-related companies come and go. From huge corporations like BP to small one-man bands. I have seen them all.

The one thing that all these companies have in common is the ‘over-zealous’ and commission-hungry salespeople.

Now, this is nothing unique to the PV solar panel (photovoltaic) industry, but having worked a couple of years in this type of environment myself, I have heard and seen it all.

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A person who speaks as frankly as I do and whom I have admired for many years, recently spawned the quote “They will be knocking down our doors to get hold of our solar panel technology” while speaking at a PV solar (photovoltaic) industry conference last week.

You hit the nail on the head yet again Mr Leggett.

Human history was littered with mistakes and bad decisions by our leaders. These bad choices usually entail much suffering and even death for the general population in those times.

Underestimating or also blatantly ignoring the true-scale of the energy problems we all now face, may again prove this hypothesis right. (more…)

“I remember walking down a street recently and thinking to myself ‘Didn’t the future arrive quickly?’ PV solar panels (photovoltaic) have been popping up everywhere and for the perfect reason.”

There’s nothing more powerful than when PV’s time has come.

The Simpson’s vision of the future consisted of solar panel clad homes with holographic trees.

The trees are still real, but families across the country are increasingly realising the long-term benefits of solar panels, not only to alleviate themselves from increasingly more expensive energy costs but also to gain from the incentives that are still around for adopting alternative technologies. (more…)

One very important factor often overlooked by PV solar panel (photovoltaic) owners are cleaning.

Just like your car, the dirt and dust in the atmosphere can leave your pride and joy with an unsightly layer of grime attached. This dirt and dust can hurt your panels’ performance if left unchecked.

The importance of cleaning your PV solar panels.

With your feed-in tariff revenue for photovoltaic panels being reliant on producing the maximum amount of energy to gain the maximum amount of income, then the importance of keeping your solar panels clean seems obvious.

Solar panels do work well, even when dirty. NASA’s Rovers have demonstrated this on Mars. With an expected lifespan of six months when first launched in 2004, the success of the rover’s longevity on the Martian landscape has been down to their extraordinary solar panels, which have kept the rover powered, despite their accumulated layers of red dust. (more…)

Over the eight years, I have been within the PV (photovoltaic) solar installation industry, I have noticed one common trait that most householders who have installed solar panels possess – Pride.

PV solar panel pride since 1883.

Technology comes in many different guises, and very few manage to invoke high amounts of passion, pride and delight.

Except for the motorcar or more recently the iPhone, technology usually serves a purpose such as cleaning your clothes, but pride in… (more…)