Community Solar Exempt from EPC Requirements

Fantastic news for green-minded community projects is that they do not have to reach the band D EPC requirements of domestic and commercial properties to benefit from the highest solar rates available.

Community properties are often old church halls and other such buildings that are hard to treat with energy efficiency measures. 

By ensuring that such properties can benefit from solar to the maximum degree the DECC allows them to become centres for energy-education and examples in the local area - thereby promoting energy generation and frugality. 

Look out for our own upcoming community projects as community leaders take advantage of this announcement form December 2012.

Community solar projects exempt from EPC requirements - Solar Power Portal
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Solar Power PortalCommunity solar projects exempt from EPC requirementsSolar Power PortalThe Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced its response to the Phase 2B consultation on the feed-in tariff scheme. A large part of the cons ...


Do you have experience of a community centre regeneration project?  Perhaps you think this announcement opens the door for your own community to benefit?  As ever, let us know your thoughts below.

DECC last week released their Digest of UK Energy Statistics for 2012 which provided some encouraging data for those who are working toward a more sustainable future for the UK.

Most notably was the year-on-year increase of electricity generated from renewable sources from 2010 to 2011 as it rose from 6.8% to 9.4% of the total energy supply.

With the deployment of so many small scale solar installations, wind farms and commercial solar PV fields in 2012 this figure can only go one way in 2012, up.

Digest of UK energy statistics 2012
www.decc.gov.ukThursday, July 26, 2012 9:32:00 AM

The Department of Energy and Climate Change today releases 4 key publications:

• Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2012
• UK Energy in Brief
• Energy Flow Chart
• Energy Consumption in the United Kingdom

providing detailed analysis of production, transformation and consumption of energy in 2011.


What do you make of our increased reliance on renewable energy sources?  Will it only ever compliment fossil fuels and nuclear power or eventually take its place? Let us know you thoughts below.

Reducing the Costs of Solar PV

Greg Barker's role as Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change is not an easy one, he is tasked with responsibility for Climate change, fuel poverty and green economy.  It is the green economy that affects Norman Environmental, as it is that very sector of the market in which we operate.


In recent times the attractive Feed-in-Tariff rates for those who choose Solar PV have been tweaked, slashed, changed and meddled with to redress perceived imbalances in the system.  It is our role as Solar PV providers to roll with the punches and understand exactly how changes to these benefits impact on our customers - so that we can communicate clearly and make sales on an open and honest basis, the hallmark of a good, honest business.


The announcement from Mr Barker that FiT's have a certain future is good news, hopefully allowing us and other installers to concentrate on providing a better service to our customers, making us more efficient and giving clients some security.


Mr Barker goes on to say that he now intends to "work on bringing the price of installation down".  This sounds like good news for customers but the fact of the matter is that with less Solar PV demand companies genuinely cannot afford to undertake the work any more cheaply than they already do.


Exclusive: Certainty for feed-in tariffs - Solar Power Portal
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Solar Power PortalExclusive: Certainty for feed-in tariffsSolar Power PortalThis revolution in small-scale green energy has been driven forward thanks to support from the Government's feed-in tariff (FiTs) scheme. FiTs are available for a range of te ...


Would you accept the government intervening in your industry, setting prices or meddling with your company structure?  How could such an intervention even be undertaken? Let us know your thoughts below.

5 Steps to Beat the Feed-in-Tariff Deadline

Could you benefit from £1,000 in your pocket every year for the next 25 years?  Do you believe in quality and long term security?  How about if that return was PROTECTED against inflation?

That is what a new Solar PV system from Norman Environmental and SolarWorld could bring you - effectively securing your energy future.

If you're anything like most UK residents you use more electricity and pay more per unit for it than ever.  You can measure this increased cost in pounds and pence - or by that fear and dread at the end of each month or quarter as you wait for your electricity bill to land on the doorstep, with an ominous 'thump'.

Any money you have struggled to save over the years is only growing at a rate below inflation as it sits in a high street bank.  Meanwhile there are strong rumours that the Bank of England's base rate could fall even further to 0.25%.  The stock market is not fairing much better.

Your opportunity to do something about this is closing, and it's closing fast.  On 31/7/2012 the Solar PV feed in tariff rate will be cut by 5p/unit and 5 years in length. Effectively reducing the overall returns by 40%.

The good news is that there is still time to secure the higher rate tariff if you ACT NOW.  Below you can find 5 simple steps that will help you ease your worries about energy costs and secure the following benefits;

• Up to £38,000 (20% in savings and 80% cash)
• 12% return on your investment EVERY year for 25 years
• A fast and simple installation of a hi-tech improvement to your property
• A high quality system by reputable installers - installed and certified BEFORE the tariff dro

So to get all this and more just follow these 5 simple steps;

1. Click to Download our FREE ebook explaining,
• the basics of Solar PV and the feed in tariff
• how many panels you could fit on your roof
2. Follow the link to use our FREE online Solar PV returns calculator and find out today's value of your 25 year returns
3. Click to arrange a FREE site survey and quotation 
4. Place your order
5. Sit back, relax and enjoy 25 years of PASSIVE INCOME

Hurry though, time is short and we've promised ourselves not no more than 5 Solar PV orders before 31/7/2012.

Our unique guarantee is based on our experience and expertise.  We promise that for any order we accept we will complete and certify that installation in time for you to benefit from the highest applicable feed-in-tariff rate.  If we don't deliver your system in time then it is FREE. No catches, all we have to do is accept your order and we will deliver - or it's on us!

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain, follow our five step plan NOW and secure your energy future.

Accredited SolarWorld Installers

Saturday 30th June was a day of great excitement at Norman Environmental as that was the day that we received our marketing starter pack from SolarWorld and officially started life as an accredited SolarWorld installer. 


It is a real feather in the cap for us to become one of a select few accredited installers in the UK as SolarWorld vet each of the applicants and select them on merit - so that they can protect their own brand and reputation. This is something we can really appreciate and is why we NEVER sub-contract our solar projects to other installers.

In our pack we received a number of exclusive goodies including official SolarWorld shirts, stickers, balloons, pens, information leaflets and a roll up banner. These items help us use the SolarWorld brand to promote our own high quality service.


Best of all is the mini solar panel, this is a great tool for us as it allows our prospective customers to see the quality of a SolarWorld unit up-close, something they are unlikely to get the opportunity to have once panels are installed high up on their roof. Watch out for a video coming soon where we use the mini panel to explain a Solar PV installation and demonstrate the quality of SolarWorld.

We are actively seeking the support of larger brands to build our own reputation, we see this as a way to attract customers who want proven international quality but the kind of attention and support you get from a small, family business. We see this as the best combination of quality and long-protection and security.


Do you use the brands of larger companies to promote your small business? Tell us your story in the space below and get a selection of SolarWorld trinkets in the post, on us.

FiT Deadline Extension

Feed-in-Tariff Extension to 1st August 2012

A lot of uncertainty has sprung up around the Solar PV Feed-in-Tariff since the turn of the year.  This centred around the government's initial intention to reduce the tariff from 43p to 21p on 12th December 2011.  A move that was eventually overturned in court.


Since 1st April 2012 the UK government have had their way and the basic tariff rate has been reduced to 21p per unit. Added to that is the condition that domestic properties must achieve at least a 'D' rating in an EPC assessment, or the rate falls to 9p!  Luckily for Solar PV customers prices of Solar kits have come down considerably, to the point where the yearly returns as a percentage of investment are almost as good as they were before Christmas 2011.  EPC D grades can be achieved quite easily, even in hard-to-treat homes.

Need to learn more? Get our FREE ebook

The initial intention was to reduce the tariff again on 1st of July 2012 in relation to the uptake of solar in the spring and early summer months.  In simple terms, the more solar that is installed, the more the government have to pay out and so they intend to reduce the tariff in relation to the number of installations on a rolling basis.  However, due to the confusion caused by the court case and feed-in-tariff reductions, the uptake has not been anywhere near even the lowest 'trigger' levels.


By law any announcement to change the tariff must be made at least 40 days before the date of change.  This announcement date (20/5/2012) was missed by the government minister responsible, Mr Ed Davey.  So the lifetime of the current tariff has today been extended until the 1st August 2012 when it will fall to 16p.


Whilst the opportunity to benefit from a balance of low prices and good returns is clearly limited, we have an extra month's grace to help more people gain from the current 21p tariff.  Look out for our next blog post where we will compare the returns across both FiT rates.


How does this news affect you? Are you now in a position to invest in Solar? Let us know in the comment section below.  Perhaps you'd like to learn more about Solar PV and the feed-in-tariff? If so then click the link to download our FREE ebook, An Introduction to Solar PV - before it's too late! 

Shocking savings in a box

10 Downing Street do it. DECC do it. Norman Environmental do it.  What are we talking about? Voltage optimisation of course!


In order to cope with the surges and pulses of electrical demand in the UK, our energy suppliers provide us with 'too much' electricity.  Better too much than too little, right? Well no actually.

A V-Phase is about the size of a shoebox and saves customers 10% on electricity

Legally, power can be supplied in the UK at anywhere between 207 and 253 volts.  For those of you that don't know a volt can be defined simply as the measurement of electrical force, or speed.  That is to say that higher volts may deliver the same amount of power (amps) but will do so more quickly, causing appliances to consume power more quickly.  In most cases power is delivered at around 245 volts.


Too much electricity means higher bills and lower lifespans for our electrical appliances. Too much electricity helps the energy suppliers sleep at night because it mitigates against stations that 'drop off the grid', reduces the impact of surges in demand and because it increases their income.


For years now commercial and industrial property owners and managers have employed the trick of voltage optimisation to reduce their costs and look after their appliances, plant and equipment.  Until recently this technology was not safely and economically provided to the the domestic market.


This has been turned on it's head by companies such as V-Phase and Marshall Tuflex who provide their own voltage reduction units for the domestic market.  The technology is designed to reduce the incoming power to 220 volts, an optimum level for most household items.  This helps to save about 10% of annual electricity bills.


Below is a list from the V-Phase website, showing what kind of savings you can look forward too with one of their units.  They also have a handy savings calculator on their site, why not see how much you could save?

Appliances with motors and pumps

• 'A' rated freezer = 17% energy saving
• 'A' rated refrigerator = 16% energy saving
• 3 speed central heating pump = 15% to 18% energy saving

Lighting     

• CFL lighting = 11% energy saving
• Incandescent bulb = 15% energy saving
• Low voltage halogen spot lights = 15% energy saving

Consumer electronics                                                                                          

Results for consumer electronics vary widely, examples are given below:                                                               

• DAB radio = 5% energy saving                                                                                                                                                        
• DECT cordless phone base station = 30% energy saving                                                                                                             
• ADSL modem and wireless router = 5% energy saving                                                                                                    
• Personal Computer = 4% energy saving
• Hi-Fi = 13% energy saving    

Do you have V-Phase unit or equivalent? Or are you considering purchasing one? Perhaps you know of an ongoing project that could benefit from one or more of these clever little boxes?  Whatever the reason, please share your story below.

Aim for the Moon

NASA yesterday leaked details of a plan to vastly reduce the USA's dependency on fossil fuels, by using solar panels in space.




"Solar in space is nothing new, almost all spacecraft and satellites incorporate solar technology to meet their power requirements" said a NASA spokesperson, "so this is a logical step".

"The Moon measures 37,930,000,000 sq km, research suggests that as little as 500,000 sq km of solar farms could power the entire planet. So powering the US and selling any surplus power shouldn't provide us with too big a challenge" he continued.

The real challenge, it would seem is in transporting the power back to earth from our most famous satellite. "Tesla did it in 1893, so we know it's possible, and NASA has undertaken a lot of research in the area. We're confident we can make it work."

Meanwhile the race is on to be the first to install some moon based solar panels. "This is a very exciting development" said Todd Hammerstein of the Photovoltaics Institute, "we know solar works in space. But how will the contract be let? Will NASA seek to employ the deep knowledge of the accredited builders and electricians of the USA and wider world? Or cut costs by doing a hash-job with their own non-specialist engineers?"

NASA are central to this initiative and are already considering how it will pay 'for itself'. Their spokesperson concluded - "Once we've put the Solar farm on our Moon, the next stage will be to consult with other countries to sell them surplus energy that will quickly pay for the $32,000 bn project."

Whatever happens next, the road to Moon based solar is sure to be a rocky one.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad, what a brilliant App!

Location:Circling the Earth

Feed in Tariff Clarity

A number of installers and 'agents' across the land are claiming that Solar PV installations certified before 3rd March 2011 will definitely receive their FiT at a higher rates of 2011. Whilst we and many others think that this will indeed be the case, it is not set in stone.




Below is a very clear excerpt from the Energy Saving Trust website.

"Regardless of what some installers may say there is no guarantee that householders will get the higher (43.3p/kWh) rate for installations with an eligibility date between 12th December 2011 and 3rd March 2012. Customers who install on the assumption of the higher rate do so at their own risk.
The actual tariff applied to installations with an eligibility date between 12th December 2011 and 3rd March 2012 won’t be confirmed until the legal process has been completed. The Government has 28 days from the judgment to lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court.

Householders should plan on the basis that at the very least they will get 21p/kWh.

Householders with an eligibility date after 3rd March 2012 will receive 21p/kWh.

Householders with an eligibility date after 1st April 2012 will receive 21p/kWh provided that their home has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band D or better (A being the best). Homes which do not have an EPC Band D or better will get will get a reduced generation tariff rate of 9p/kWh.

For householders with an eligibility date after 1st July 2012 it is proposed that the rate should between 16.5p/kWh – 13.6p/kWh. The exact rate will depend upon the amount of solar PV installed between March and April 2012."

So be careful how you treat your quotes, we have already reduced our prices to reflect the 21p tariff, as have many other reputable installers in the UK.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad, what a brilliant App!

The Feed in Tariff Fiasco: A Timeline

Confusion, thy name is Feed-in-Tariff.  For anyone who's been blissfully unaware of the feed-in-tariff and the fiasco that currently surrounds it; I envy you.  For those that know of it but need clarity; read on.  For those that are unaware but intrigued; also read on.  For those that are sick to death of it, comment below.

The feed-in-tariff is a scheme designed to encourage people in the UK to generate electricity via their own means, through Solar Photovoltaics, Wind Turbines, Hydro-turbines or even Anaerobic Digestion (look it up).  In short, payments are made to micro-generators of electricity for each unit they produce.  There is a tariff of rates set by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), pricing the units according to the type and size of installation.

In the UK the baseline tariff for Solar PV was set at 43.3p per unit, almost 4 times the market rate for electricity.  This high subsidy, along with falling material and installation costs caused a boom in installations that the UK Government tried to dampen by reducing the baseline tariff rate to 21p/unit after making an announcement at the end of October 2011.

Below is a timeline showing what happened next.

The FiT Fiasco: A Timeline on Prezi

All this means that as we stand Solar PV installers are able to sell and install PV systems before  3rd March 2012  based on the promise of at least 21p per unit for a fixed period of 25 years.  However, should the government lose their supreme court appeal (as is very likely) then this will be increased to 43.3p per unit once more for those systems installed, certified and registered with an FiT provider before 3rd March 2012.

Those commentators with a touch of cynicism in their blood may argue that the government know only too well that they will lose the appeal and are using the confusion caused by it to protect their budget in the short run, or even that the whole thing has been orchestrated from the start to reduce demand in PV until April 2012.

In the meantime the livelihoods of over 20,000 people are under threat as suppliers, installers and potential customers have no idea what level of subsidy will be paid for systems installed between 12/12/11 and 03/03/12.

Are you interested in Solar PV but off-put by the market uncertainty?  Perhaps you agree with the government's tactics, or beleive they have a genuine case. Whatever your thoughts, please feel free to tap them through your keyboard and into the box below.

4 ways we saved 40% on our client's utility bills

Last year we blogged to report the work we had carried out for our clients CCC in Bristol, there have been some significant results since that time showing that their investment has been a real success. The work undertaken can be split into 4 main areas.

1. Reduced heat loss and stresses on the heating system by;

• Insulating the front facing void beneath the ground floor, and,
• Draft proofing the timber doors

    2.   Improved gas efficiency with;

• A replacement, highly efficient, Viessman gas boiler,
• A new external weather compensation unit, and,
• Thermostatic radiator valves installed to each of the building's radiators.

    3.   Reduced solar gain via;

• The installation of window film to the South facing windows and and roof lights.

    4.   Reduced electricity consumption by;

• Replacing a number of the high energy light fittings and lamps with low energy alternatives, and,
• Installing a V-Phase unit to optimise voltage.

The below table shows how in the 4th quarter of 2011, these services had a huge affect on the money spent by CCC on gas and electricity in comparison to the same period in 2010.

So looking back at our predictions for CCC in the original blogpost:

"We estimate that the result of our installations will be an annual saving of 30% on CCC's electricity bills and 40% on their gas bills. With energy bills set to rise significantly in the near future, these savings will be further exaggerated - allowing CCC to benefit from a annually rising return on the investment they have made in their property.  We expect to see a reduction in the company's annual carbon output of over 4 tonnes."

Whilst the electricity savings have not been as pronounced as we would have liked, the quarter represents a period where lighting would be used more extensively than in other parts of the year, similarly the gas savings are somewhat enhanced by the milder weather of December 2011 - but that only accounts for one part of the quarterly saving.  Most staggeringly we have reduced the annual CO2 footprint of the building by nearly 5 tonnes, smashing our yearly estimate.

All in all it is a fantastic result for Norman Envrionmental and CCC who have written to us to tell us what a "a very worthwhile exercise both environmentally and economically" the project has been for them.  We will continue to monitor and report on the results in this blog.

So if you think that your home or business premises could benefit from an energy survey, then get in touch via email, visit our website, or just comment below.