Comment

A COUPLE from South Littleton are leading the way in energy efficiency after generating almost 80 per cent of their electricity with solar panels.

Stephen and Maureen Martin, of Long Hyde Road, were one of 3,000 British households this year to install photovoltaic solar panels.

Their goal was initially to generate 60 per cent of their electricity, but after the floods and a gloomy winter they feared it was an impossible task.

Mr Martin, a former chairman of the Worcestershire Climate Change Committee, said: "We faced the task with some trepidation but when we came to review the year we found we had generated 2,300kwh and imported just under 3,000. This equates to nearly 80 per cent of our imported electricity. We also saved 1,400kg of CO2."

The problem for the Martins and others in their position is that they cannot measure how much of their energy use has been self-generated.

While countries such as Germany have smart' meters that measure how much energy is coming in or out, British companies do not supply export meters.

European countries are required to buy back micro-generated electricity at a premium feed-in' tariff which is about 35p/kwh but UK companies have no such requirement.

Friends of the Earth campaigner Dave Timms said: "The UK's feeble performance on renewable energy is a disgrace. If we want people to tackle climate change by investing in clean technologies then they must get a guaranteed premium payment for all the energy they generate."

6 See letters p6

10:57am Friday 25th April 2008

Print

Email this

Comment