Is solar power worth it in the UK: A real life case study

If you read this blog you will know that we have had solar power panels installed on our office roof. This solar power heats a water tank next to our boiler. This water is then fed into our main boiler meaning we do not have to pay for hot water in summer and in winter our bill will be reduced. But by how much?

We are quite an environmentally conscious business, so anything to help reduce our impact on the environment is a bonus for us. However for businesses who may have considered installing solar power in the UK but are not sure if its worth the investment, how do you know whether its worth it?

Well, hopefully we can tell you.

Is it worth installing solar power to supplement your energy in the UK?

The UK isn’t exactly the sunniest place in the world, so can solar power really generate enough energy to make it worth while? Over the following months we are going to monitor the Kilowatt output generated by our solar panels to determine whether solar power is worth the investment. Then you can make the decision based on the hard facts. We think helping save energy and using renewable sources of energy is always worth it but now you can work out whether it is economically viable for your business or school or even your home.

Methodology

Every Monday we will take a Kilowatt reading from the solar panel showing how much energy the solar panel has produced to date, at that time. Additionally we will note the whether conditions: temperature, daylight hours and cloud cover. We will graph this information in order to provide a relatively detailed picture of solar power energy production for a small to medium sized business in the UK.

We’ll reference this against our bill to work out how much money we’ve saved and hopefully at some point in the future we will establish the time it took for the investment to pay for itself in terms of energy savings.

To supplement this information we’ll post up some details about the solar panels so you can make an informed decision as to whether your business, school or home could benefit from solar powered heating in the UK.

Stay updated the easy way

Stay tuned for an update every Monday and if this subject is of interest to you, subscribe to Go Green today.

Note: The first full reading will be posted Monday 18th February. To get readings emailed to you weekly sign up to our weekly email newsletter.