Although solar power's contribution to energy in the UK is still relatively small, with growing pressure to cut carbon emissions from buildings, along with rising electricity prices and business CSR commitments, solar solutions are poised to take off. The biggest barriers are high initial installation costs and limited government support compared to that of other European countries.
Solarcentury has been at the forefront of showing the practical, innovative and effective ways that solar systems can be used in buildings across the UK - even in crowded urban locations. The company specialises in developing mounting systems and installation procedures for integrating solar systems into a wide variety of buildings including industrial estates, schools, prisons, hospitals and houses.
The firm has used innovative design to develop a range of top quality solar products - solar PV panels and tiles, solar water heating and mounting systems. All are designed to be simple to install so that traditional roofers can fit them with little training, and they integrate with standard building materials.
Working closely with building developers, local authorities, engineers and architects, Solarcentury has designed and installed over 550 large installations and thousands of home installations, including 30 installations for schools, 150 for public sector or charitable organisations and 300 for businesses. All have met the rigorous standards of planners as well as clients. These installations add up to 3,3 MWp of solar power, generating around 2,370 MWh/year, which prevents the emission of about 1,350 tonnes of CO2 a year.
According to David Pretty, Chief Executive of Barratt Homes "[the solar tiles] have attracted a huge amount of interest at our Eco home in Buckshaw Village. New home buyers are pleased with the aesthetics and particularly impressed that solar tiles can save them money. We're doing this not just because it makes commercial sense, but because we believe it makes sense for the future. It will help to shape the homes we'll build for the future."
Compared to other renewable sources of energy, solar power has a high capital outlay but the maintenance requirements and costs are extremely low. The process of choosing solar power also tends to encourage people to become more aware of their energy consumption. Each Solarcentury installation includes a meter to show the current electricity generated and some include the total generated as well as CO2 emissions avoided.
One of Solarcentury's best known installations is the CIS tower in Manchester which is the largest commercial solar façade in Europe and one of the biggest solar installations in the UK.
