Joining the likes of ‘A Shade Greener,’ renewable energy provider ISIS Solar has revealed that it will install an initial 18,000 solar systems, for FREE in the south of the UK. Many more companies are expected to follow suit as the year progresses, taking advantage of the UK’s generous feed-in tariff, while providing free renewable electricity for the homes it selects.
ISIS Solar told the Solar Power Portal that it will begin by aiming for 18,000 installations in the south (from Oxford down), yet as the amount of systems installed increases, it will begin to move into the rest of the UK.
Each system will be 3.3kW, covering an area of 24m2, on a roof which must be roughly south facing and relatively unshaded. A system of this size would usually cost the customer around £16,000. By installing the panels for free, ISIS saves the homeowner this upfront cost, as well as cutting approximately £300 a year off their energy bill.
ISIS informed the Solar Power Portal that the installer they would be using is the Mark Group, based in Leicestershire but working nationwide. The company is of course certified under MCS and uses Sharp Solar modules.
The only requirement from the homeowners is that they must agree to keep the panels for at least 25 years and allow access for maintenance purposes.
ISIS will earn its profit through the country’s feed-in tariff, which pays 41.3p per kilowatt hour of energy produced. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) estimates that the scheme will cost £8 billion over 20 years and add £8.50 a year to the average household electricity bill.
Lawrence Buckley, Director of ISIS Solar said: “ISIS Solar aims to make domestic solar energy accessible to as many people as possible, not just the few who have up-front cash.”
Update
Since the publication of this news piece, SPP has been informed that the Mark Group will be installing Mitsubishi 1.85kW modules for their installations and will use Fronius inverters. ISIS has also informed us that the panels will be monitored to ensure full working order. If the performance of the module performance falls below the expected rate for the area then ISIS will follow up and perform any repairs needed. The company also says that the inverter will be replaced if and when it needs to (usually every 10 years). After the 25 years of the panels being installed, the customer will be able to keep the panels, or take them down if they wish.