Should Liz Truss have offered free solar panels as well?

killzusall

Setting a new price cap of £2500 for the average household from October is a good quick way to deal with the immediate bills, but I'm wondering if something should have been done around offering either heavily discounted or free solar panels as well (possibly means tested for qualification), even if you didn't get the feed in tariff it would still help towards bills and move the country closer to net zero. Residents could then look to purchase storage batteries to help with costs during the night and darker months then too.

[Deleted User]

No - this is going to be expensive for everyone to pay back as it is.  Lets not just load even more money onto the problem.

Plus, with removing green levies and boosting fracking, pushing domestic solar was never going to happen.

sienew

No. Solar panels on individuals houses are far more expensive than building solar farms. If you add storage (which many solar systems don't have and instead just pull and feed to the grid as needed) solar actually becomes quite an expensive form of energy.

Krakkkers

Where would the panels for 30m houses come from and who would pay for them and install them?

[Deleted User]

killzusall said:

Setting a new price cap of £2500 for the average household from October is a good quick way to deal with the immediate bills, but I'm wondering if something should have been done around offering either heavily discounted or free solar panels as well (possibly means tested for qualification), even if you didn't get the feed in tariff it would still help towards bills and move the country closer to net zero. Residents could then look to purchase storage batteries to help with costs during the night and darker months then too.

A great idea BUT

Cost. Historically, the cost of these types of schemes form part of the standing charge.

A shortage of panels etc. 

Lack of installation firms.

A Fragile Grid infrastructure which is in urgent need of upgrading to accept renewable energy. DNOs are already struggling to keep the Grid voltage and frequency within legal limits.

Poor solar output in Winter when the days are short and the sun doesn’t shine.

uk1

We have just been asked to join a local authority initiative under Solar Together that promises the benefits of going out to auction for Solar PV systems.  I wonder whether this is actually providing any real benefit …….

born_again

Good idea.
So many houses that could be used to produce power that could be stored to be released when needed. 
Yes there will be costs, but insulating houses is going to cost & with many already insulated as best they can do, short of insulating on the outside. It could be a cheaper option with the bonus of helping the power shortage.

[Deleted User]

uk1 said:

We have just been asked to join a local authority initiative under Solar Together that promises the benefits of going out to auction for Solar PV systems.  I wonder whether this is actually providing any real benefit …….

Do your own calculations. A 4kWp array may cost £5000 and output about 4000kWh/year. Realistically, most homes can only use somewhere between 25% to 50% of the electricity generated: the rest goes to the Grid.

If you can use 2000kWh/year from the panels which saves 2000kWh/year of energy from the Grid, then the saving is £1000 per year (50p/kWh) plus export payments of about £150/year.

Shedman

Any subsidies or freebies with solar panels/batteries  (or mini wind turbines) would surely be better directed at industry especially those with large roofed premises etc (as presumably economies of scale would suggest that the cost of installation would be proportionately much cheaper) and energy is consumed throughout longer and more consistent periods of the day than domestic. 

Krakkkers

Break even in less than 5 years.

ChaunceyGardiner

Sounds lovely for those who own a house. What about all those who don’t?