Major Solar Energy Schemes Considered By Redhill Council

Redhill Council is set to consider two large solar energy projects next week, installing solar panels on the roofs of council-owned property. The two buildings will be a council depot and a leisure centre. As always with solar energy, this will satisfy the two requirements of being good for the environment and good for the pocketbook. Especially when times are difficult economically, it is imperative that solar energy is financially viable as well as being good for the environment.

More councils invest in solar energy

The projects which are to be decided on by Redhill council will cost nearly a quarter of a million pounds, however the money generated by it over the years is set to exceed that amount by a great deal. This will be in the form of savings made on electricity bills, as well as the money made from the feed-in tariff which pays out when you put electricity back into the national grid. It is only relatively recently that councils were allowed in on this government scheme, and already quite a few are taking advantage. If the proposed cut in carbon emissions is going to be met in the future however, then a lot more councils are going to have to get involved.

Fortunately though, you don’t have to wait for the council do something, you don’t have to lobby or protest or write a letter. You can do something yourself and get PV cells installed on your own roof. Although there is of course an initial installation fee, over time you will save money, but you will start helping the environment immediately. At the moment the feed-in tariffs are at the highest rates that they are going to get to for some time, they may be reduced at the government’s spending review in 2013, or even before that if the uptake of solar energy is high enough.

Solar energy has proved to be the most popular form of renewable energy taken advantage of under the feed-in tariff. Other forms of renewable energy are also applicable to it as well however, and there are a number of ways that a household can reduce their bills and do their bit for the environment in addition to taking advantage of solar energy. This includes getting energy efficient boilers, underground thermal heating systems and more. In fact the leisure centre in Redhill also has a wood-fuel boiler for its heating needs. As we go forward into the future it is going to be necessary for more and more properties to have multiple renewable energy sources.

This goes for private residences and public buildings, on a local and national level. In fact, you could also say on a global level as it is the global environment which has to be protected and preserved. It’s never too late to get involved with solar energy, and it’s never too early either so now is the best time to look to the future.