Currys, the electrical retailer, has teamed up with Sharp to offer a range of solar energy solutions for homes in the South East.

This is the first time solar panels for the home have been available from a major retailer in the UK. The products will initially be offered from three stores: West Thurrock, Fulham and Croydon. After a detailed in-store consultation with a trained adviser, customers with suitable houses will be offered a house assessment free of charge. Should the house be capable of supporting the technology – and most are – installation of the solar panels on the property roof takes just one or two days and requires a minimum of equipment to be installed, usually in the roof space.

‘We’re quietly confident that this could be a flier’, said Hamish Thompson, a spokesman for Currys. ‘Connection will be a doddle for the vast majority of homes in the UK.’

While some photovoltaic (PV) panels are used to charge batteries, Currys will offer the simple option to connect to the national grid. Homes will produce an energy surplus during the summer months and will be able to export this back to the national grid.

The cost for an average three-bedroom house to have nine solar panels (enough to cover half a household’s electricity) is circa £9,000. There are also grants available through the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, which depends on using approved installers from the Programme’s list.

It would take upwards of nine years to repay the Currys installation, but in the meantime homeowners could benefit from the installation adding value to their properties.

Attracting installers

Could solar energy solutions offer a new lucrative new division for window installation businesses?

Lynn Miles, Chief Executive of Romag, a well-known manufacturer of glass laminated PV panels is positive: ‘My view is that even two to three years ago PV was for the environmental purist. Now it’s mainstream.’

She thinks that glazing businesses could get involved in this market, and the need to acquire electrical expertise would keep the market respectable.

‘Because it’s an electrical installation, most people will demand an accredited installer’, she added.

Source

Glass Age