Lockleaze was selected partly due to the fact that it is designated a fuel poverty area plus, as many of the houses are of a similar design, installation costs will be lower.

Bristol Power is of the opinion that as much as 40% could be knocked of the electricity bills of those having solar panels installed.

Dave Jeal, the local vicar, is one of the first in the locality to sign up for panels to be installed, in a cross shape, on St James Church’s roof in Romney Avenue.

Residents in Lockleaze have been mailshoted by Bristol Power to try to persuade around 300 to take advantage of the scheme that is backed by both the Government and city council that have provided £15,000 from a sustainable community energy fund.

Bristol Power’s spokesperson, David Saunders, commented: “We want to offer people the opportunity to join an energy co-operative which would give them the chance of having solar panels on their roof and much cheaper annual electricity bills.

“In Bristol there is enough roof space for 700 megawatts of solar power – that’s the equivalent of a decent sized power station.”

There would be no capital outlay by residents who would be able to have the panels provided and fitted free of charge. Much of the electricity Lockleaze residents use would also be free of charge although during winter time and on dark nights they would have to pay for some electricity but at a discounted price.

The majority of the funds required for this scheme emanates from the “feed-in tariff” which are the funds coming from the National Grid who purchase the electricity. Bristol Power would receive these monies to repay the capital loan provided for installing the panels.

As Bristol Power is a co-operative any profits made are re-invested in the project.

Presently 21p per kWh of electricity is received but, from July, this is likely to be going to reduce to 16p.

Due to the fact that the Government had been heavily subsidising the installation of solar panels there has been a huge demand in recent years. Unfortunately, the Government were no longer able to subsidise the scheme to the previous level so in the last budget the subsidy was cut by 50%.

Mr Saunders believes that it would cost around £1 billion to install solar panels throughout Bristol with properties producing in the region of £80 million of electricity each year.

He believes solar panels are catching on just as computers did many years ago.

According to Jersey Electricity’s CEO, the solar panels that will soon be installed on the company’s roofs will generate enough power for four to five homes.

Chris Ambler, the company’s CEO clarified that it was still at the experimental stage but if it worked, more solar panels would be installed in and around the island.

Jersey, which is an island in the British Isles, is a very convenient location for solar panel installation, since it enjoys the most sunshine in the Isles.

He also explained that the price of solar panels has dropped, which is one of the main reasons why the experiment was possible.

“It is still emerging technology, the costs have been very high and it has only been over the past year that it has fallen in price in any meaningful way,” said Ambler.

However, the panels do need approval from the Planning Department before they can be installed on the roof of the Powerhouse building, St. Helier.

According to Anthony Pallot, Jersey’s Meteorological Officer, the island saw a bountiful 2,235 hours of sunshine in 2011. This comes in stark contrast with the 1,962 hours in Eastbourne, which enjoys the most sunshine in the United Kingdom.

In other news, in Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in USA, a group of researchers has developed 3D mounting techniques in photovoltaic cells which could increase the power output per footprint by up to 20 times as compared to fixed flat panels.

In the abstract of their article ‘Solar energy generation in three dimensions’, published in the online journal Energy & Environmental Science, the researchers have outlined the results of their experiment.

“Our findings suggest that harnessing solar energy in three dimensions can open new avenues towards Terawatt-scale generation,” reads the abstract.

Also developed by the team is the analytical software which can model various 3D configuration in a range of seasons, latitudes and weather conditions. This has been considered as more important than the successful models of the 3D mounts tested by the team.

“I think this concept could become an important part of the future of photovoltaics,” suggested the paper’s senior author, Jeffrey Grossman, who is also an MIT professor.

The 3D installations modelled by the team come in all shapes and sizes, from simple cubes to tall, slim towers which form the base for rows of photovoltaic cells.

The basic advantage of having 3D structures rather than flat panels is that they gather slanting sunlight much better in places far from the equator, during winter or morning/evening hours.

Although it does cost a tad bit more to install 3D solar installations as compared to flat panels, the cost is compensated by the substantial increase in power per unit of mounting area generated by them.

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In a recent scheme, the Cherwell School in Summertown is planning to go solar in its energy intake. With 232 solar panels being installed upon the two roofs of the school, it will become one of the first institutions that derives a substantial amount of energy from solar power.

There was an official ceremony to launch the scheme, which was attended by Elise Benjamin, lord mayor of Oxford. Benjamin, who hails from the Green Party, praised the people’s efforts in raising awareness about the benefits of solar energy.

The money for the scheme was raised by 75 people from the community, who generated over £145,000 to facilitate the solar panel installation.

“This is a fantastic example of the sort of community solar initiative we desperately need,” remarked Benjamin.

The solar scheme was organised by Oncore (Oxford North Community renewable), which, in turn, was set up by one Low Carbon Oxford North (LCON).

Even the faculty of the school is very upbeat about having the solar panels UK installed in their school, regardless of the relatively meagre financial savings it brings with it.

According to Head teacher, Paul James, “Although there are small energy cost reductions for the school, the main reasons for our involvement are the educational benefits of seeing a renewable energy source in action on our own site.”

It’s not just the schools that are going the solar way. A business park in Oxfordshire has had enough solar panels fitted to be able to receive a quarter of electricity through solar power.

The Howberry Solar Park at Wallingford has also been upholstered with 3000 solar panels via Solarcentury, which are capable of saving 350 tonnes of CO2 emmission.

The resultant electricity generated is equal to that produced in over 200 homes.

The chief executive of the park, John Ormston, stated that he and his team were wholeheartedly dedicated towards using renewable energy to support their growing energy-consumption.

“Howberry Business Park will be one of only a few business parks in the UK where occupiers are able to secure a direct electrical supple from a solar array,” he said.

Solarcentury’s CEO, Derry Newman, agreed with Ormston, adding that the scheme also gave a clear view of the future where solar power could be a potent contributor into the electricity-generation process. He also stressed on the hazard-free usage of the source.

“Solar is not to be underestimated; it is the fastest growing energy technology in the world, simply because it is clean, reliable and a readily available alternative to fossil fuels,” stated Newman.

Solarcentury has had a long experience in building solar parks, especially around continental Europe.

The building of Howberry park followed the Government’s scheme of feed-in tariff where energy vendors would provide payment to those households that generated renewable energy.

Over 40,000 installations have been registered ever since the feed-in tariff scheme was announced.

With many residents clueless about the new decisions regarding solar panels UK, the website is dedicated towards providing information and advice to households looking to install solar panels. It will also be one of the frontrunners in providing instant quotes for such households.

There are many other handy bonuses for the taking. Home Solar Panels also arranges for households to get up till three no-obligation surveys, entirely free of charge. The surveys will be carried out by MCS accredited Solar installers. This will ensure that prices stay competitive and there’s no malicious practice by rogue traders.

Also, the website provides guidance to people on whether a solar panel installation would be feasible in their particular homes. This can be done by using roof checkers, along with costs, discounts and savings which will be assessed using calculators.

Although the solar panel industry has been dealt a huge blow with the cuts in the feed-in tariff by the government, a growing number of households have embraced the idea of generating their own electricity by using solar panels.

Along with producing energy, it is also possible to receive more power according to the Government’s scheme. For each unit of electricity that is not used, an additional 3.1p will be paid to the household. The Government has agreed to provide 21p per unit for the next 25 years, so it’s only natural that homeowners are flocking towards solar panel vendors.

Solar energy has not yet realized its full potential in the UK market, but industry insiders reckon that the only way forward is up for the fledgling industry. Homeowners are currently struggling to pay off their household expenses which include hefty electricity bills. This is why the significant savings on electricity that is promised by solar panel installations will not be considered lightly.

Many solar panel installation companies have come up which provide free, instant and competitive quotes, along with offering the service of setting up the solar panels in your home. However, there are some conditions regarding the installation of solar panels in UK. Only those homes that have a minimum Energy Performance rating of ‘D’ are eligible for a solar panel installation. Those who fail to meet this standard will need to ante up their Energy Performance rating by upgrading their property’s electricity situation.

Solar Panels are guaranteed to generate tax-free returns of an estimated £512 every year in terms of earnings, which is equivalent to a profitable return on investment of around 7.3 per cent. This is another fact that has prompted many residents to stock up to buy a solar panel.

After the decision to slash the subsidy was challenged in court by major solar panel firms in the UK, the Government lost the decision. However, it will be moving the appeal to Supreme Court so it appears that the future of solar panels UK still hangs in the balance. If that weren’t enough, last week, the Department of Energy and Climate Change announced the possibility of additional cuts on the feed-in-tariff, which could leave the solar panel industry in complete disarray.

Although solar panels cost around £10,000 to install, the Government’s scheme to supply feed-in tariff of 43.5p per kilowatt hour was a strong catalyst in motivating people to purchase and set up solar panels on their homes. The money spent was returned with the amount of power generated and residents had the option to sell the surplus power to the National Grid for another 3.1p per kilowatt hour. Obviously, such phenomenal rates of return sat well with most citizens, as the Energy Saving Trust (EST) points out. According to the EST, with the previous arrangement in effect, a typical household could stand to save around £1200 annually on electricity bills.

However, with the government’s unpopular decision to slash subsidies, the future of solar panels UK is now highly uncertain. People who installed the solar panels before December 12^th of last year would still stand to receive the 43.5p tariff as promised. Those who installed solar panels afterwards will have to make do with the modified 21p arrangement.

If the government does lose the case in front of the Supreme Court, those who have installed solar panels before March 3^rd will also receive 43.5p feed-in tariffs. However, as it takes six weeks on average to install solar panels, it is virtually pointless to install solar panels now if you want to avail the higher feed-in tariff.

According to the Energy Saving Trust (ETS), if the Government manages to win the case, householders could get a rate of return around 4.5pc on a tariff plan of 21p per kilowatt hour. However, in case of relocation, solar panels could cause a problem. Along with that, there is also the matter of cleaning and maintenance of solar panels UK.

However, there are bigger problems for the solar industry lying in store. According to the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the subsidies may be reduced to 13.6p per kilowatt, even lower than the currently projected rate of 21p. This would be catastrophic for the fledgling solar market.

A representative for the Government has explained its decision to cut the feed-in tariff by stating that the slated £1 billion budget for the scheme had already been exceeded by 70 per cent.

According to a statement collected by the journal NanoLetters, this hybrid solar cell can convert 44 per cent of sunlight to produce electrical energy, which is 29 per cent more than silicon cells output.

Solar cells are used to convert sun’s energy into usable electricity. The energy is absorbed via semi-conductor materials such as silicon, through light particles known as photons. These photons then generate electrons to produce electricity.

However, it is not yet possible for silicon solar cells to extract the entire energy generated by the photon, which leads to loss of energy produced by the more energetic blue photons. Generally, each solar cell produces one electron from every photon captured.

Bruno Ehrier, who is the lead author of the research, spoke to Reuters about his team’s invention.

“We present the first hybrid solar cell that utilizes a phenomenon called singlet exciton fission to generate two electrons for each absorbed photon in the organic material,” said Ehrier.

Hybrid cells were first developed in 1996, but efficiency has always been an issue. This is still being worked upon, leading to improvements and upgrades such as this.

“These hybrid cells are the first of their kind so it is very difficult to estimate when they will go into commercialization,” added Ehrier, “The firm Eight 19 works closely with the group and will put our cells in production if they turn out to be commercially viable. However, in order to assess that, we need to investigate the devices further. This might take 2 to 3 years.”

Recently, there has been a sharp drop in prices for solar panels UK, putting manufacturers under greater pressure to produce even cheaper type of solar installations. New technologies like concentrating photovoltaic solar, which can multiply sun’s energy to the factor of several hundreds, have gained the direct backing of industry bigwigs, who are relying on their promise to deliver cheaper, more efficient forms of alternative energy as opposed to conventional solar panels.

“Since our materials can be dissolved and processed by roll-to-roll printing, we expect that actual cost of a solar panel be much lower than with conventional silicon solar cells,” says Ehrier.

“On an industrical scale, the cost of making the basic silicone solar cell would dominate over the cost of an organic layer printed on top of it. However, this discovery is in an early stage so it is difficult to predict the final cost and device structure,” he finished.

In the face of Government’s cruel subsidy cuts and the overwhelmingly bleak future of solar panels in UK, this new development comes as a shining beacon of hope for manufacturers and customers all around.

However, the business in solar panels UK has been basking in greener pastures for sure. There were 450 solar panel businesses in the UK, which employed about 3,000 people. This number rose sharply in 2011, with 4,000 businesses employing over 25,000 people. Households scrambled to have solar panels installed, with 16,000 households installing solar panels in the month of last September alone. This hysteria was majorly due to the benevolent government subsidies that provided generous feed-in tariff to boost the solar energy field.

However, the Government’s designs to halve the feed-in tariff have brought solar panels UK to a stuttering stop. According to the Government, the average taxpayer has to pay for subsidies for an inefficient energy source when there are other renewable resources that can be implemented to source energy. According to the solar panel market however, the government was out of line putting the bill across and has put thousands of businesses and tens of thousands of employees out of work.

After the original feed-in tariff scheme was introduced, the growth in solar panel businesses was unprecedented, with more than three times as many solar installations as expected. According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, if things kept on the way they were, the average taxpayer could expect to shell out an extra £100 on the electricity bill. While this was being considered, the average cost of installing solar panels had already fallen by a third.

So, last October, the Government decided to ‘set things right’ and announced the slashing of government subsidies, provoking a scandalised outcry from solar panel businesses across the UK, not to mention thousands of households with solar panels already installed. From 41p, the tariff went down to 21p, leaving the solar industry in a limbo of sorts.

According to Andy Tanner, chief executive, Plug Into the Sun, “It went ballistic before Christmas. Then it was dead as a doornail. Now it’s gone ballistic again. However, we’re on tenterhooks for February 9.”

February 9^th is the date on which the Government will announce the result of its consultation, which includes a proposal to pay feed-in tariff only to those households having energy performance certificates measuring up to Grade C or above. Andy Tanner says that this proposal would rule out around 80 per cent of the customers.

The chief executive of Engensa, Tony Darbyshire is also fretting over what happens next.

“There is a huge amount of uncertainty in the industry at the moment. There is real anger about the sledgehammer way this has happened,” says Darbyshire.

Nobody knows what’s next on the cards but the solar panel business in UK is sure to take a turn for the worse if the Government continues on its anti-solar crusade.

Daniel Green, the chief executive of a leading solar panel company which recently won a lawsuit against the Government over its decision to slash subsidies for electricity generation, is advising caution to homeowners.

“Nobody knows what the tariff is,” said Green.

He advised homeowners to stay all installations till the completion of the legal procedure.

Last year, the Government made an unpopular decision to cut the feed-in tariff from 43.3p per kilowatt to 21p. On December 12^th, the Government ruling was upheld and came into effect, even as consultations over the viability of the ruling were still underway.

During the legal hearing, Justice Mitting ruled that halving the feed-in tariff in the midst of consultations was unlawful and should be stopped. Several premier solar panel companies had joined hands to fight the case against the Government.

This came after thousands of people, who had signed up for having solar panels in UK installed in their homes, were unable to receive them due to the Government’s decision of halving the feed-in tariff.

This Friday, the Government will be challenging Justice Mitting’s ruling in the Court of Appeal. The permission to appeal along with the appeal itself will take place on the same day. Daniel Green said that the Government could still prolong the uncertainty period by re-appealing to the Supreme Court, even if it lost the case in the Court of Appeal.

Craig Bennett, the director of another reputed solar panel firm, said that the appeal process “will simply add to the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the solar industry – and the thousands of jobs at stake.”

At present, the solar panel industry in the UK is comprised of approximately 3000 companies that take care of installations. In light of the Government’s decision, there is a heightened fear that many people will be revoking their orders, since the ‘free’ panel offer under the Rent-a-Roof scheme will no longer be a utility.

The Government explained the decision of halving the feed-in tariff, stating that since the cost of installation had fallen and take-up had been much higher than what was expected, it had no choice but to slash the tariff. It also reasoned that customers had been receiving up to 10 percent returns, rather than the 5-8 percent returns that had been predicted. As a result of the new feed-in tariff, customers will have to wait 20 years instead of ten in order to recoup the cost incurred.

Earlier, the city council of Stoke-on-Trent made a deal with maintenance firm Kier and energy firm E.ON to install panels in thousands of houses, a deal which would effectively reduce energy bills by as much as £100 on an annual basis for some of the city’s poorest families.

E.ON agreed to the deal as the cost for installing solar panels would have been covered by Government subsidies, while the city council would receive a substantial income by renting the roof space.

But the recently proposed Governmental cuts of up to 50% have left the agreement hanging in the balance. The subsidy payments by the Governments cover the generated electricity for the National grid.

If the cuts are accepted by the Government, the Stoke-on-Trent deal will no longer be a viable investment for E.ON.

Along with the relief on electric bills, around 100 jobs that were expected to be created for electricians, roofers, delivery drivers, storage workers, team leaders, customer officers and scaffolders are also anticipated to be scrapped.

Although E.ON has still gone ahead with its plans to install solar panels in 548 homes, it is a far cry from the 4,000 homes that were expected to have benefitted from this program.

Andrew Barrow, the spokesman for E.ON has slammed the government proposals, citing that they are unlawful and detrimental to the development of the city in nature.

“Nothing is set in stone, but if the situation stays as it is, the project will be coming to a premature close. The financial aspect of the agreement was a fantastic deal for residents and for the council, but it was all based on one set of figures,” said Barrow.

“We were playing a long-term game and the rules have changed.”

Barrow continued to state that if the ruling remains unchanged, E.ON will be forced to stick with its incomplete plan of targeting less than 550 homes in the city.

“It’s good news for those families but unfortunate for the others,” shrugged Barrow.

Kath Banks, the councillor for Longton West, added, “I’m really disappointed the Government has cut this, because it’s the people of Stoke-on-Trent who are going to be missing out.”

The cut in Government subsidies means that the feed-in-tariff will take a distinct drop from 43.3p per kilowatt to a measly 21p.

The Assistant Director of housing services in the council, Bourne, stated: “The tariff being reduced makes it unviable for E.ON.”

The confirmation of the proposed slashes would lead to the reception of higher feed-in-tariffs until April 1, following which the rate would drop to 21p.

The Blurton Farm Residents’ Association chairman, Christine Pratt, talked about the reactions of residents to the proposals.

“I’ve spoken to lots of residents who have filled in their forms, only to be told they can’t have the panels. Obviously, they aren’t very happy,” Pratt said.

The Government’s decision to enforce the Feed-in Tariff scheme which effectively cuts the subsidy for Carillion Energy Services, was followed by the company’s announcement that more than 4,500 jobs may be declared redundant.

On the back of the subsidy cuts, an estimated two-thirds of the companies dealing solar panels in UK have been considering the possibility of lay-offs. The subsidy cuts, which were imposed last month, have been nipped by 50 per cent, a very substantial amount.

To give an idea of just how much these companies have lost by the Government’s decision, Carillion Services used to be one of the major players in producing solar panels for housing, apart from controlling HomeSun, UK’s largest rent-a-roof service provider. It consistently enjoyed revenues touching some £800 million.

However, the staggering budget cuts from the Government’s end could very well put a halt to its prosperity, at least temporarily. Carillion’s spokesman earlier confirmed that the company had embarked upon a ninety-day consultation tenure to decide the number of jobs that may be lost.

Not only Carillion, a survey conducted by MEBC found that 66 per cent of solar panel businesses in the UK are expected to reduce their staff numbers, mainly due to subsidy cuts.

The Government’s decision to cut the subsidies has been severely criticised by all the companies, being called as a ‘Draconian approach that will kill off demand’ and a ‘business killer’.

MEBC, which conducted the survey on the effects of subsidy cuts on companies dealing in solar panel, UK, is a regional network that focuses on sustainable development.

David Middleton, MEBC’s head, was quoted as saying: “We have been promoting business opportunity in the renewable sector for years. At a time when we are seeing ways of stimulating investor growth in the green economy, the radical and hurtful nature of this deep and speedy cut is very counter-productive.”

“It seems like a curious way for a Government that says it is the greenest one ever to go about reducing our carbon footprint, enhancing energy efficiency and creating jobs and new businesses to help the economy,” he finished.

Companies such as Carillion Energy Services have been at the forefront of the solar panel scene for years. The exact nature and implications of the subsidy cuts enforced by the Government cannot be ascertained yet. However, whether the change is for better or worse, one thing seems certain: the businesses around the solar energy sector do not appreciate the change.