FAQ

Contact us and speak to a Solar Homes Work Specialist. He or she will answer any questions you have about Solar Systems, and fully discuss your requirements.

You should use Solar Homes Work because we recognise that:

“WE MUST DELIGHT YOU”
if we want to be
“RECOMMENDED BY YOU”

• We are a specialist in the installation and maintenance of Solar systems.
• We manage the whole process from beginning to end.
• We provide free no obligation surveys and fixed price quotations.
• We aim to recommend the solution that is best for you and will not attempt to pressure you into buying from us.
• We employ fully trained and qualified personnel and only fit systems that have passed the relevant product tests.
• We are fully insured and qualified to carry out Solar installations.
• We are Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accredited.
• We are members of the Renewable Energy Association and adhere to their code of ethical conduct.

Learn more about us…

We believe in SOLAR:

Safety first
Operational excellence
Leaving a good impression.
Acting with integrity
Respecting people, property and the environment.

We are based in Surrey and cover most of the South East of England including Surrey, Sussex, London, and parts of Hampshire, Kent and Middlesex. Places we visit frequently include: Ashtead, Banstead, Caterham, Cheam, Chipstead, Cobham, Crawley, Croydon, Dorking, Epsom, Esher, Farnham, Guildford, Kingston, Kingswood, Leatherhead, Molesey, Reigate, Redhill, Richmond, Sheen, Sutton, Teddington, Weybridge, Wimbledon and Woking.If you live in another part of the country we would be happy to put you in touch with a local installer who can meet your needs.

Contact us for more information.

Hopefully the information on our website will help you to find the initial answers to that question.

But, it is often simpler and easier to just give us a call OR
Tell us a little bit about your property so that we can help you.

If you ask us to conduct a site survey we can answer that question fully, but the basic requirements for the two types of system are:

Solar Electricity

• A southerly facing roof, it does not need to point directly south.
• Approximately 8 square metres of roof space for every kilowatt of power you want to produce.
• A small amount of space to mount inverters and switches (often in the loft).

Solar Hot water

• A south, east, or west facing roof.
• At least 2 square metres of roof space.
• A hot water cylinder (either vented or unvented) or in some cases a combi boiler provided it is solar compatible.
• Access to run pipes from the panel location to the hot water cylinder.

Give us a call if you want us to confirm the suitability of your property, OR Tell us a little bit about your property so that we can help you.

Our qualified Solar Specialist will survey your property to assess the orientation, pitch, shading, type, size, accessibility and overall condition of your roof. He or she will check that there is sufficient space and access both internally and externally to facilitate the installation and will also review your current energy installation to ensure that we can safely install a solar system.

It normally takes about an hour or so, but this will depend on your particular property. We will advise you of our expectations beforehand when a convenient date and time is arranged with you for our visit.

Once we have carried out a site survey we will discuss your options with you. Based on your requirements we will recommend the solution that is best for you and provide you with a fixed price quote. Rest assured, we appreciate that you may need time to consider your decision and we will not attempt to pressure you into buying from us.

We will discuss your energy use and design a bespoke system to suit your property and budget. We will prepare a written estimate indicating the key features of the proposed system, the expected power output, a fixed price cost for installing the system (with no hidden extras) and an analysis of the expected financial return on your investment.

» Will I need planning permission to fit solar panels to my roof?

We will ensure that the system design meets the prescribed requirements so that you won’t normally need planning consent to fit your solar panels.

In some cases it is possible that your particular requirements can mean the system falls outside these parameters. In such circumstances we will inform you up front that planning permission is required and assist you with the process of obtaining permission if you want us to help.

Planning permission is required if your property has Listed Building status, or if it is in a Conservation area and the Solar Panels would be visible from the road. It’s best to check with your local council planning officer if there is any doubt.

It is possible that some mortgage providers might regard a Solar installation as a modification to the property (like a building extension), so it is best to inform them.

Once an order has been confirmed, installation usually takes place 4 to 6 weeks afterwards (although it is possible to complete an order in as little as two weeks if all the required elements of equipment and manpower are readily available).

Our goal is to delight you by providing you with a well-designed, durable system with a long life expectancy that fits both the nature of your property and your requirements.

The designer will specify the location, number and type of panels to be used; the method of installation to ensure the safety of everyone in and around the property; the method of mounting on (or integrating into) the fabric of the building; the ancillary materials to be used (bearing in mind the expected longevity of the main components of the system); and the location of any new meters, wiring or pipes in the property.

A Solar Electricity installation will usually take 1-2 days to complete depending on the size of the system. A Solar Hot Water system will usually take two days, one day to plumb in the cylinder and pipe work and one day to fit the panels on the roof and commission the system.

An installation will normally involve:

• Arrival on a convenient date agreed with you in advance.
• Erection of appropriate scaffolding to ensure your safety and that of our installers.
• Secure fixing of your Solar Panels to your roof.
• Confirmation of where any internal equipment is to be located.
• Careful installation of the internal elements of the system in an unobtrusive manner and fitting of the relevant control and/or meter in a convenient location for you to access.
• Care taken to minimise any disruption and ensure a neat and professional finish. There will be a brief period of disruption when we turn your electricity off whilst we connect a Solar Electricity system. A Solar Hot Water system will usually require us to disconnect your hot water for the day.
• Testing and commissioning of the system to ensure it is functioning correctly.
• Going through the system with you to ensure you know how everything works and providing you with an owner’s manual including a full set of installation certificates, warranties and product guarantees.

It is extremely unlikely to happen but if we did damage a tile we would replace it at no cost to you.

You won’t need to do anything to make the system work. Your Solar System will be designed to automatically give priority to the free energy, and when required, to supplement this with energy from your existing system.

You don’t need to alter your existing supplier unless you want to. The optimum energy deal for your property may change since your energy use will reduce substantially after the Solar Panels are installed. If you do wish to change we would be happy to help you.

Yes, you will be able to swap suppliers as and when you wish.

Yes, you will still be using power from your utility company to supplement the energy generated by the Solar system. Your supplier will take its normal reading and invoice you as usual, albeit for a significantly reduced amount.

You can make the most of your Solar Power system fairly easily. If you have a Solar Electricity system you should try to use appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines during the day. If you have a Solar Thermal system you should try to use hot water during the day, allowing the panels to reheat the tank.

Solar Systems are reliable and extremely hard wearing. Provided the tilt of the panels is at least 15 degrees, rainwater will usually keep the panels sufficiently clean. In extreme cases an accumulation of dirt might cause a power reduction of around 10%. This can be addressed by simply cleaning the panels using a hose or, if possible, soapy water and a non-abrasive brush. We would be happy to carry out this maintenance for you if you would like.

A Solar Electricity system is silent in operation and has no moving parts so it should require very little maintenance. The inverter (usually located in your loft), which converts the power from the Solar Panels into useable electricity, will probably need replacing after 12 to 15 years.

A Solar Hot Water system is also low in maintenance. We suggest a check once every 3 years to ensure that the system is working efficiently and hasn’t lost any pressure, and to change the anti-freeze.

We will only install Solar Panels on a roof that is in good condition. Once they are in place, they actually help to protect the roof from the elements. However, if repairs are required, the Solar Panels will need to be removed and re-installed. We would be happy to assist you with this if you wish.

The Solar Panels are very robust and made from toughened glass, so it would take a lot to damage them, but it is likely that they will be covered by your Buildings & Contents insurance policy. We recommend that you check this with your insurer. You will also be covered by the manufacturer’s standard product and performance warranties.

In the unlikely event that you experience a problem with your system, you should contact us. The panels come with a long-term performance warranty, and we also warrant the standard of workmanship for each installation.

We believe it is reasonable to expect that house buyers will place a higher value on your house compared to one that does not possess a Solar System, particularly since you will be able to demonstrate the level of income that they will benefit from. Alternatively, you could continue to receive the tariff income for the remainder of the term provided you structured the legal documents on sale to reflect this arrangement.

We will happily answer questions from our customers before, during and after an installation. Simply contact us.
Customers can also take advantage of one of our after sale service packages if they wish.

Global Warming is the name given to the process where a rapid growth in man-made gases (such as Carbon Dioxide) is causing the temperature of the earth to rise.

Renewable Energy is power that comes from a resource that naturally replenishes. Renewable energy sources include Sunlight, Wind, Water (waves and currents) and geothermal heat.

The UK generates only 2% of its Energy from Renewable Sources. This is significantly less than the rest of Europe which generates 7% of its Power from Renewables.

The Sun provides as much Energy in a single hour as the World uses in a whole year.

Your Carbon Footprint is the amount of Carbon Dioxide that you release into the atmosphere during all of your everyday activities.

The average Carbon Footprint for UK residents is nearly 10 tonnes of CO2 per annum, which is more than twice the average per person for the world.

Solar Power systems are able to achieve reductions of around 20% in your household’s Carbon Footprint. A typical domestic Solar Electricity system saves around 1 tonne of CO2 per year, with Solar Hot Water adding a further saving.

The Solar Panels produce no emissions (except for the pump in a Solar Hot Water system that requires a small amount of electricity to operate unless it is generated from a renewable source). The Solar Panel system itself has a carbon footprint associated with the manufacture and transport of the Solar Panels. The precise footprint of the equipment varies by panel but we estimate that an average PV system will ‘pay back’ the embedded carbon emissions of manufacture in less than 4 years.

Burning Fossil Fuels pollutes the Environment and Nuclear Energy creates hazardous waste. Solar Panels by contrast are environmentally friendly and safe to deploy. The panels emit no pollutants, have no moving parts and make no noise.

Installing a Solar Power system is just one way of reducing your carbon footprint. It also makes sense to try to reduce your energy consumption, employ energy efficient appliances wherever possible, and waste less energy by insulating properties better.

Explore our site (link to environment page), or visit one of the following websites if you have the time to explore the science further.

• Department for Energy and Climate Change
• The Carbon Trust
• OFGEM
• The Energy Saving Trust
• The Met Office
• The New Scientist
• BBC Weather

Yes. The amount of daylight is clearly important, but Solar Panels convert energy from the sun with an efficiency that makes them viable even in cloudier climates like ours. For example, Germany has similar levels of light to the UK and is responsible for producing a third of the world’s solar electricity. Solar Systems fitted to homes in the South of England will perform better than those in the North.

Solar Panels operate using the intensity of light not necessarily direct sunlight. So, even when it is overcast the panels will convert energy, although the efficiency will be slightly lower.

Solar panels work during daylight, so you will get more electricity from them in the summer than the winter.

The size of Solar System you require depends on a number of factors including your energy usage, the characteristics and location of your property, and your budget. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you and recommend a solution that meets your needs.

If your requirements should change in future years, it is possible to add extra panels to a Solar Electricity System although some of the other components of the system may also need to be upgraded. The additional capacity would attract the Feed in Tariff that applied at that time.

3,300 kilowatt hours is the amount of energy a Solar Electricity system using 30 square metres of roof space could produce in a year. This represents a significant proportion of the 4,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a year that an average home uses on lighting and appliances according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Solar Panels convert the free energy from the Sun into useable electricity for your property; they can’t actually create energy.

This is because the Solar Panels use photovoltaic cells to convert light into electricity. The photovoltaic effect is where photons of light cause electrons to agitate and move between layers of a semi-conducting material such as silicon. These PV cells are contained within a specially strengthened glass.

The Solar Panels are treated with an anti-reflective coating to increase the flow of light to the PV cells, and the top layer of glass is given a slightly granular texture to reduce the amount of reflection.

The main elements of the system comprise the Solar Panels; a mounting structure; an inverter to convert the direct current (DC) generated by the panels into useable alternating current (AC); and a meter to measure the output.

There are three main types of panel:

• Monocrystalline – uses thin slices of silicon, cut from a single crystal.
• Polycrystalline – uses thin slices of silicon, cut from a block of crystals.
• Hybrid – a mono-crystalline cell covered by an ultra-thin amorphous silicon layer.

They vary in performance, with the most efficient costing the most money.
Our Solar Specialist will recommend the solution that is right for your requirements.

The basic requirements for a Solar Electricity system are:

• An unshaded southerly facing roof, it doesn’t need to be directly south facing.
• 8 square metres of roof space for every kilowatt hour of power at peak (kWp) you want to produce. A kWp in the UK will generate around 800 kilowatt hours of energy per annum.
• Space to fit the inverter (usually in the loft)

We would be happy to provide you with a dedicated assessment for your property if you wish. Simply contact us.

Shading is a very important factor. A small amount of shade can have a disproportionate impact on the whole system since the panel with the lowest illumination sets the operating current for the other panels that it is connected to. We will consider this in our site survey and installation design. Where a degree of shading is unavoidable, it may be possible to minimise the impact by installing a more intricate system or using special panels.

The optimum angle of tilt depends on the latitude of the geographic location. In Southern England the optimum tilt is 30 degrees, but in Northern Scotland it is closer to 40 degrees. The existing roof slope of a property often determines the degree of tilt, so it is helpful to know that Solar Panels will still perform well at other angles.

Solar Electricity Panels have no moving parts and make no noise.

Solar Panels tend to weigh around 15kg per square metre, which is much lighter than the weight of roof tiles and slates. We will check the suitability of your particular roof when we conduct a survey, but the combined weight of most Solar Electricity systems will fall well within the Building Regulation requirements for the majority of houses.

The panels are fitted quite close to the roof to minimise the effect of wind getting underneath and lifting the panels. All of the mounting systems we use have been thoroughly tested to ensure optimum stability in the weather conditions that the UK experiences.

The mounting systems used will depend on your particular roof. There are different systems for flat or sloped roofs. The Solar Panels can be fixed “on roof” or “in roof” although the latter is more expensive particularly for an existing building.

A roof is often the most convenient location for the panels, but they can be placed on walls or erected on available land.

Properly installed panels are expected to have a long life span that will see them continuing to provide free electricity long after the 20 year period of the Feed In Tariff, albeit with some degradation in efficiency. There are some panels on the market now that come with a warranty of 90% efficiency after 25 years. The inverter (which converts the Direct Current produced by the panels into useable Alternating Current) may need replacing after 10 to 15 years.

When the Solar Panels produce more electricity than you need, the surplus will flow back into the national grid so that it doesn’t get wasted. In addition to the tariff income you receive for generating the electricity you will also get paid an export tariff for the amount you send back to the grid.

Once installed, the Solar Panels work automatically, you don’t have to switch them on or off. As soon as it is daylight the Solar Panels begin generating electricity.

When the Solar Panels are producing less electricity than your property is using you just receive power in the normal way from your supplier. However, you will still be affected by any power cuts in your area.

In the event of a power cut your Solar System will be automatically switched off. This is a safety feature to prevent electricity flowing to the national grid and harming people who may be working to restore the mains supply.

Most systems are designed to work in harmony with your existing electricity supply and the national grid so there is no need for batteries. Batteries could be used in exceptional circumstances where you had a particular need for an off-grid solution using batteries to store the electricity generated. Such a system would be much more expensive to install and maintain.

Your property will use the electricity generated by the Solar Panels in preference to that supplied by the national grid. The system can distinguish between the two because the characteristics of the electricity generated by the Solar Panels are marginally different.

No. You won’t notice any difference at all in the strength of your lighting.

All your electrical appliances will work as normal. The only change we recommend you make is to schedule your use of electrical items where possible to the daylight hours, in order to maximise your benefit from the system.

Solar Electricity systems benefit from the Government backed Feed in Tariff scheme (sometimes referred to as a Clean Energy Cash Back scheme).

A Feed in Tariff or ‘FiT’ is the name given to payments made under a Government backed scheme designed to incentivise homes and businesses throughout the country to install Renewable Energy systems like Solar Electricity Panels.

Click here for further details of the Feed in Tariff.

The level of payment (‘tariff’) and quantity of electricity generated varies depending on the type and size of the installation. For each kilowatt hour produced you will be paid up to 15.44 pence. You will also get paid 4.5 pence for each kilowatt hour of electricity you don’t use and export back to the grid. As well as saving an estimated 14 pence per kilowatt hour on your energy bills by using your own free electricity. The estimated electricity output for a well sited 4kWp system fitted to an existing house is approximately 3300 kilowatt hours which equates to an annual income & saving of nearly £1,000.

See our Investment returns from Solar page for further details.

The Government backed Feed in Tariff schemerequires the major Electricity Suppliers to make regular payments to households and organisations who generate their own energy from renewable sources like Solar Electricity.

Although the Feed in Tariff is a Government initiative, the cost is borne by the Electricity Suppliers. They will recover this expense by increasing the amount they charge their customers for electricity. So, it makes sense for you to install Solar Panels to avoid these future price rises.

The Electricity Supplier you have selected will either make a direct payment into your bank account or provide you with a credit against your energy bills.

The Feed in Tariff will be paid for 20 years from the date of registration of the installation.

This scheme is a key part of the Government’s plan to ensure the country reduces its carbon emissions. We expect the Government to continue to monitor the effectiveness of the scheme and make future changes as appropriate. However, the Government recognises the long-term nature of the payback for installing Solar Power and the principle that changes to the scheme in the future should not be retrospectively applied. In other words, any future changes should only effect subsequent new installations.

The Generating and the Export tariffs are both payable for 20 years and are index linked to inflation so they will increase each year.

You receive a Generating Tariff for every kilowatt hour of electricity you generate, and an Export Tariff for every kilowatt hour you don’t use yourself and sell back to the national grid.

See our Investment returns from Solar page for further details.

In addition to the tariff income you receive, you will also save money on your bills. The saving will depend on how you manage your electricity use. The maximum saving will be achieved if you use electrical equipment such as washing machines and dishwashers during the day (if you are out of the house a lot in the daytime, it may make sense to use some timer switches).

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that a house using 50% of the electricity it generates will reduce their electricity bill by about one third.

The value of this saving will increase over time as the cost of electricity rises in future.

See our Investment returns from Solar page for further details.

It could be your brightest investment ever. Choose a Solar Electricity system and you could get a brilliant tax-free return of up to 10% for helping to Save the Planet.
See our Key Facts about Solar Electricity page for more details.

The amount of money you can make will depend on the characteristics of your property and your particular circumstances. You could get a brilliant tax-free return of up to 10%.

We have provided some examples <here> and a calculator function that you can use <here> to get an idea of the gain you can achieve for different levels of investment. These are a useful guide, but if you want a proper estimate ask us to prepare a quote for you.

There is very little data on this topic in the UK. However, it is clear that:

• Most people are aware of the value of energy efficiency. A YouGov survey in 2009 found that 55% of respondents had changed their lifestyle or behaviour to reduce their energy use.
• Two thirds say they will pay more for an energy efficient home. Research conducted by TNS for Wolseley in 2006.
• The selling price of energy efficient properties is 2.8% higher. Research into the ‘Economics of Energy labels in the Housing Market’ by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors June 2010 using Dutch data.

It is therefore reasonable to expect that buyers will value your Solar Hot Water system, particularly since you will be able to demonstrate the subsidies and savings that they will benefit from.

Heating water to the required temperature by means of a traditional boiler or electric immersion heater is an expensive process. A Solar Hot Water system uses a Solar Collector to harness the free energy from the Sun to either heat water directly or heat a working fluid that, in turn, is used to heat water stored in a tank or cylinder. It works in conjunction with your existing system to meet your hot water requirements throughout the year, with the conventional boiler topping up the heat from the Solar System when necessary.

The solar panel collector, which sits on your roof, absorbs the sun’s heat and heats the water in the system.
A pump and controller inside your property will work with sensors on the roof and in the cylinder to turn the pump on and off depending on the temperature of the water. The liquid in the panels contains an antifreeze solution so that it won’t seize up in the winter

There are two different types of collector: A Flat Plate collector, which consists of two sheets of metal with a thin gap between them through which the water passes and heats up. This type can be fitted onto a roof or integrated into the roof itself; and an Evacuated Tube collector, which must always be mounted onto a roof, and has tubes containing a vacuum that heat up an element which a fluid passes over. The tubes can be twisted towards South if needed, so they work well on more easterly and westerly facing roofs.

Our Solar Specialists will be able to advise you on the type of collector that will best meet your requirements. Simply contact us.

A well located system on an unshaded roof should provide virtually all the hot water needs of an average house in the summer and 50-70% of your requirements overall.

Much of the UK receives annual solar radiation of around 60% of the level experienced at the equator, which is ample to power a Solar Hot Water system. The Solar Collectors convert energy from the sun with an efficiency that makes them viable even in cloudier climates like ours. For example, Germany has similar levels of light to the UK and is responsible for producing a third of the world’s solar power. Solar Systems fitted to properties in the South of England will perform better than those attached to properties further North.

Yes, the diffused light in cloudy conditions is usually sufficient to allow the Solar Collectors to operate. So, even when it is overcast the panels will convert energy, although the efficiency will be slightly lower.

Solar Collectors work during daylight, so you will get more power from them in the summer than the winter.

The size of Solar System you require depends on a number of factors including your water usage, the characteristics and location of your property, and your budget. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this with you and recommend a solution that meets your needs.

Solar Hot Water systems are sized having regard to the amount of hot water you use. The level of use normally correlates with the number of occupants and number of bathrooms in a property. A house with 2 or 3 bathrooms and 4-6 occupants will probably need a 240 litre cylinder, whereas a property with 2-4 occupants should find a 160 litre tank sufficient.

If your requirements should change in future years, it is possible to add an extra collector to a Solar Hot Water System although some of the other components of the system may also need to be upgraded.

Solar Collectors convert the free energy from the Sun into useable heat for your property; they can’t actually create energy.

The basic requirements for a Solar Hot Water system are:

• A roof with a two metre square space or more. Ideally this should be south facing, but unlike Solar Electricity, the performance of the system decreases only slightly on an East or West facing roof.
• A hot water cylinder (either vented or unvented) or a solar compatible combi boiler (most combi boilers are not designed to take pre-heated water from a Solar System).
• The ability to run pipes from the panels to the hot water cylinder.

We would be happy to provide you with a dedicated assessment for your property if you wish.

A Solar Hot Water system can be added to most existing hot water systems, but it usually requires you to change your existing hot water cylinder for a twin coil cylinder (that allows for heating from the dual sources of Solar and your conventional system). The twin coil cylinders are usually taller than a standard cylinder so a suitable location needs to be used.

The Solar system works in harmony with your existing equipment, so a new boiler should not be required. However, if your boiler is old or in poor condition, we may recommend that you replace it with a more efficient new boiler.

Solar Collectors tend to weigh more than Solar Electric panels depending on the solution adopted. We will check the suitability of your particular roof when we conduct a survey, but the combined weight of most Solar Hot Water systems will fall well within the Building Regulation requirements for the majority of houses.

The Solar Collectors are fitted quite close to the roof to minimise the effect of wind getting underneath and lifting the panels. All of the mounting systems we use have been thoroughly tested to ensure optimum stability in the weather conditions that the UK experiences.

The mounting systems used will depend on your particular roof. There are different systems for flat or sloped roofs. The Solar Collectors can be fixed “on roof” or “in roof”. An “in roof” system can only work with Flat Plate Collectors, and it is more expensive to install, particularly for an existing building.

A roof is often the most convenient location for the panels, but they can be mounted on a frame attached to a wall or even ground mounted.

Properly installed and maintained systems are expected to have a long life span that will see them continuing to provide free hot water for at least 20 years. We recommend servicing by an accredited installer at 3 year intervals although it may be sensible to couple this with your more regular servicing of your boiler. It is possible that some minor components such as the pump may need to be replaced during the lifetime of the system, but these are relatively cheap.

Once installed, the Solar System works automatically, giving priority to the heat from the Solar system. You don’t have to switch them on or off, although you may find that you switch off your existing boiler in the summer months.

All your hot water will work as normal. The only change we recommend is that you schedule your use of water and your boiler settings in order to maximise your benefit from the system. Our Solar Specialist will be able to provide you with assistance to help you achieve this.

It is possible to meet some of a property’s space heating requirements, but this would require a much larger installation and the period of greatest system efficiency (the summer) does not coincide with the period of greatest demand for space heating (the winter). If you wish to evaluate this option, our Solar Specialist will be happy to help you do so.

Solar Hot Water systems benefit from the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.

The Renewable Heat Incentive is the name given to the Government scheme designed to incentivise homes and businesses throughout the country to install heating systems using Renewable Energy sources like Solar Hot Water Panels.

The level of payment (‘tariff’) and quantity of heat generated varies depending on the type and size of the installation.

For each kilowatt hour produced by a non-domestic system you will be paid 8.9 pence.

An estimated saving of 30-70% on your water heating bills is also possible.

The tariff rates that will apply from summer 2013, for domestic systems have not yet been confirmed.

Find out more on our Subsidies Available for Solar Hot Water page.

The Gas and Electricity Market Authority (Ofgem) will administer the scheme and make payments to households and organisations.

The Renewable Heat Incentive will be funded from general Government spending.

The Renewable Heat Incentive Tariff will be paid for a period of years from the date of registration of the installation. Commercial systems currently receive a subsidy over a 20 year period, and the proposals for the domestic sector announced in September 2012 suggest a higher tariff paid over a 7 year period for homeowners.

This scheme is a key part of the Government’s plan to ensure the country reduces its carbon emissions. We expect the Government to continue to monitor the effectiveness of the scheme and make future changes as appropriate. However, the Government recognises the long-term nature of the payback for installing Solar Power and the principle that changes to the scheme in the future should not be retrospectively applied. In other words, any future changes should not effect existing installations.

The Renewable Heat Incentive Tariff is payable for a period of years and is index linked to inflation so it will increase each year.

You receive a Renewable Heat Incentive Tariff for every kilowatt hour of heat you generate.

In addition to the subsidy you receive, you will also save money on your bills. A well-designed solar water heating system can provide 30-70% of your hot water needs. The saving will be impacted by how you manage your hot water use and existing boiler.

The value of this saving will increase over time as the cost of energy rises in future.

Find out more on our Subsidies Available for Solar Hot Water page.

A Solar Thermal System will provide Hot Water for you and a Cooler Planet for our future. You will be eligible for subsidies from Ofgem that are designed to make it worth your while to switch from burning fossil fuels to using renewable energy to heat your water.

See our Key Facts about Solar Hot Water page for more details.

A typical domestic installation will range from £5,000 to £7,000 depending on the size and type of property.

For commercial applications and larger domestic requirements (e.g. swimming pools) we would need to carry out a survey to determine the correct solution for your needs.

If you want to get a specific quote for your property we would be happy to help.

There is very little data on this topic in the UK. However, it is clear that:

• Most people are aware of the value of energy efficiency. A YouGov survey in 2009 found that 55% of respondents had changed their lifestyle or behaviour to reduce their energy use.
• Two thirds say they will pay more for an energy efficient home.
  Research conducted by TNS for Wolseley in 2006.
• The selling price of energy efficient properties is 2.8% higher. Research into the ‘Economics of Energy labels in the Housing Market’ by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors June 2010 using Dutch data.

It is therefore reasonable to expect that buyers will value your Solar Hot Water system, particularly since you will be able to demonstrate the subsidies and savings that they will benefit from.