Solar electricity campaigners are celebrating success in their struggle to remove VAT from domestic batteries retrofitted to homes already benefitting from PV panels. Victory in the tax battle coincides today with standards body the MCS confirming 2023 has again smashed records for solar PV installations. Up to early December, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme logged 183,022 certified
In recent years, the business world has witnessed a significant shift towards sustainable energy solutions, with solar power leading the charge. This surge in solar panel investments isn't just a trend but a strategic response to the evolving energy landscape. Companies across various sectors are increasingly turning to solar energy, not only to reduce
A guest post on integrating a home battery with Home Assistant.
You already know that solar panels turn sunlight into electricity. But how? It almost seems like magic. Well, it’s magical, but while it's not an illusion, the science behind it—the photovoltaic effect—is fascinating. Considering the rising costs of heating as well as the effects of climate change, it’s a good time to invest in solar panels for
A couple who slept on their roof for 23 days to raise money for solar panels for homes on their street say they are now extending their project. Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell raised £113,000 last year after they braced rain, hail and snow by sleeping on the roof of their home in Lymouth
In the world of renewable energy, solar power has become one of the most popular ways to generate electricity. Being able to produce your own energy and be in control of your own electricity supply is a fantastic way to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Tanjent have been installing solar panels since
The UK government has exempted retrofitted battery energy storage systems (BESS) from its 20% VAT, from 1 February 2024. From the Spring Statement in 2022, energy saving domestic equipment such as heat pumps and roof-mounted solar have been exempt from the VAT. BESS too were exempt, but only when installed alongside other energy-saving materials such
When the grid goes down, most solar systems that lack a battery will also shut down. But with batteries, a home can disconnect from the grid. Each day, the sun powers the home and charges up the batteries, which provide power through the night. Our team atBerkeleyLab explored what it would take for homes and
One of the oft-heard criticisms of electric vehicles (EVs) is that, although they may be zero emission at the tailpipe, millions of tonnes of CO2 is created during the generation of their energy. While there is some truth in this given that huge amounts of fossil fuels are burnt by power stations, an increasing amount
Oliver Dowden this week advised people to stock up on certain supplies – but some people have been doing it for years Kathryn is a firm believer in the 19th-century adage that we are only ever nine meals from anarchy. Having learned the skill of stockpiling from her wartime parents and grandparents, her first mini-foray