There can’t be a homeowner who hasn’t been horrified by the rapid escalation of electricity and gas prices. And now there’s a threatened further rise in the cost of power scheduled for this winter.

It has been estimated that the average family’s energy bill could rise by £400 a year.
Add to this the concern over carbon emissions and the need to conserve energy resources — which means all the signs are pointing to a more environmentally friendly and economical approach to energy consumption.

But we all have a rich source of energy available to us if only we could only tap into it — and the best thing is that it’s free. It is, of course, the sun.

Solar panels, which convert sunlight into heat, are becoming increasingly popular with homeowners looking to cut the cost of their bills, while helping to ‘save the planet’.

They can save considerable sums of money, especially when coupled with other energy efficient measures, such as a sufficient level of loft and cavity insulation.

There are two main types of  domestic solar energy systems on the market — photovoltaic (PV) and solar panels.

PV is the gold standard of solar energy, converting the sun’s light into electricity which can be used for any purpose in the home.

It uses special cells to do this and these can be in the form of panels, or even a type of roof tile.

Its advantage is that it doesn’t rely on strong sunlight to produce energy, so it is still productive in cloudy conditions and even during the winter. However, it is very expensive.

A PV system for the average home would cost between £9,000 and £18,000.

It can be a viable consideration if an entire roof is being replaced, but as a purely money-saving exercise, it would take at least 20 years to recoup the outlay, even at current energy prices.

Although PV systems can work in normal daylight conditions, the sunnier it is, the more energy they produce, which can mean at certain times you actually have more electricity than you need.

The systems can be linked into the national grid, allowing surplus electricity to be sold to the suppliers.

After years of having to pay them, this must make for a very satisfying feeling.

The most common solar energy system in the UK is the panel variety, or collector. This type of system is used to heat water, which can then be used in the central heating system as well as providing a general hot water supply.

This method relies on a good level of sunshine, so it is most effective during the summer — which also happens to be the time when central heating is generally turned off.

Despite this, it can still contribute to considerable financial savings and is likely to pay for itself in five to seven years.

Because they are confined to heating the water supply, solar collectors can never completely replace conventional energy sources, but they provide as much as 60% of a family’s hot water over the year.

There are two types of collectors and, put simply, they work by heating water and then transferring it to the hot water system.

The cheapest variety is the flat collector where water passes through the panel to
be heated before returning to the hot water cylinder.

The second type of collector contains ‘evacuated’ tubes, which essentially have a vacuum inside, along with a liquid filled copper conductor.

The heat from this liquid is transferred to the hot water cylinder via a manifold.

Because tubes are curved, they pick up the sun’s rays at lower angles than flat surfaces, which makes this system more efficient than flat collectors as they can operate for longer periods of the day.

The downside is that they are more expensive to install.

Siting is all important with solar panels and they should be positioned on a roof that faces roughly south and is not shaded by trees or buildings.

The panels need to be at an angle of between 20 to 50 degrees and there should be between 22 and 44 square feet of roof space available.

With PV panels, it is also worth considering the overall strength of the roof, as the panels are heavy.

Planning permission is not usually needed for solar panels, unless they protrude beyond or above the roof line, or the house is listed or in a conservation area.

Councils are obliged to follow these guidelines, but it is always worth checking that there are not any local planning restrictions in place.
As part of its commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and with the goal of having 10%
of the country’s energy supply coming from renewable sources by 2010, the government gives grants to homeowners wishing to install solar panels.

The sums available vary and there are a number of conditions that must be satisfied to qualify, such as using a certified installer and having other energy efficient provisions in place, including a good level of insulation and LED light bulbs.

You might think that the number of years required to recoup the cost of the outlay for solar panels is too long because you intend to sell your home before that time has expired.

If that is the case, it is worth bearing in mind that home information packs (HIPs), which must be made up for every house for sale, must include an energy performance certificate (EPC).

Although the future of HIPs is in doubt, the EPCs are enforced by a European Union directive and are here to stay.

And if you were looking for a new home, which would you prefer to buy — a well-insulated, cheap-to-run house which provides some of its own energy, or one which consumes money even faster than it consumes electricity and gas?

There really is no contest, even if the ‘eco house’ comes at a premium price. So solar panels could turn out to be a sound investment all round.

If you are interested in solar panels contact your energy supplier for details.