Solar Panels

Dear Editor

The merits of roof-fitted solar panels

Why is it that eco-fanatics automatically assume that if one is critical of large scale Wind and Solar generation then one is also in denial to climate change! This is preposterous and an assumption too far. Indeed, unless folk are cerebrally challenged, everyone is aware of climate change and an easy example is that of the Ice Ages, which encompass a time scale of millions of years. Then, of course there was the Roman warm period and of course the European mini-ice age of the Middle Ages.

These misguided people assume that if you are against large scale solar farms, then you are against all forms of solar panel generation. But this is patently not so, and I certainly fully support roof-fitted Solar Panels.

We have had such panels on the roof of properties in both Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, and they have proved very economical, to the extent that we had paid off the capital cost of our solar array in Cardigan before moving to Shropshire; our Cardigan and south-west facing 4kW capacity system generated 4000kWhs per annum on average – I have kept daily readings to prove this fact.

I am now in the process of having Solar Panels of 6kW capacity, feeding a 10kWh battery system with automatic change-over installed on our roof in the New Year. In view of the current UK energy strategy, especially with Ed Miliband as Energy Secretary, I would strongly advise folk to consider the fitting of solar panels and a suitable battery; remembering when the Sun does not shine, there is the fossil-fuelled electricity back-up from the Grid, and in my case, if the Grid should totally fail, I will have the potential of 10 kWh battery storage and usage. That is, 1kW for 10 hours, or 10 kW for 1 hour, or whatever up to 10 kWhs.

Finally, I would humbly suggest my recent book, All Smoke and Mirrors, and obtainable from Amazon and book stores on order. It has a whole chapter devoted to Solar Generation and offers much more detail to roof-fitted arrays – the saving in electricity will soon cover the cost of the book – with the ever increasing cost of electricity it makes sense as Del Boy would say. There are also chapters on the Smart Meter, EVs, Nuclear generation and much more – have a cursory look on Amazon dear reader so you may judge for yourself – a great Christmas read and present.

Dave Haskell