SolarGizmo

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Solar powered road signs are becoming common place now within the UK and they can be found all over the place in our villages, towns, and cities and along the road side.  From time to time these signs will get damaged or need repair.  If you look closely at the signs you will find a sticker with the phone number of the traffic sign rental contractor. Write down the name and number.

When you get home give them a call and ask for the maintenance manager or chief mechanic and ask very nicely if they have any damaged panels they are will to give to you or sell cheaply.   Most contractors have solar panels that have some cracks or slightly damaged and all they do is replace them and throw away the damaged ones away.

If you do manage to get hold of some panels you’ll find that they will need repairing.  Cracks can be resealed with clear silicone. Wiring can be soldered back together.  Remember to thank the contractor with a box of donoughts and they may reward you with more free panels.

We’d be interested in knowing what you make with the solar panels you get hold of so leave us a comment.

This article takes you through the minefield of information regarding electricity generation and what you need to know before you set out on the journey to self sufficiency. Most of the power companies in the UK will buy electricity from you and provide information relating to how the process is done.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

1-Know your current usage and try to reduce this, also try to find out at what times of day you use the most electricity and the times of day you use the least amount of electricity.

The main reason for people wanting to sell electricity to the grid or system is because they are producing more power than they actually need during specific times of day. Before you even think about producing your own electricity you need to log your power requirements and discover how much power you need when and where. In order to do this a electricity monitor is required, there are many makes and models available to consumers with prices ranging from £10 to over £100. These devices can be a minefield themselves (please follow this link to see the range of product available). Electricity monitors show how much electricity you use at any given time and this in turn will show which appliances in your home are consuming more electricity than you think, and mow much this is costing in £’s. Before you think about needing to generate you own electricity you need to cut back on the electricity you currently use by finding where savings can be made and at what times of day this can be done. For example during the day if the house is empty because everyone is at school and work you electricity requirements will be far less than the evenings when your demand will be high. It is these peaks an troughs in you demand/usage that will identify where savings can be made and at what points of the day you could possibly sell electricity to make money.

2-Know what tariffs are available from the utility companies and get the best deal you you and your individual requirements.

The selling of electricity is done in the same way you make a purchase from your current provider; the energy/electricity is sold in pence per kilowatt hour (p/kwh). The money you pay for getting electricity will be different to the value you get for selling your energy/electricity. In order to get the best possible price for the energy/electricity you sell you need to find the right company with the right tariff for your particular requirements. As each utility provider regularly changes its pricing and options to reflect current market demand and regulations as well as everyone generating different amounts of electricity at different times we would strongly advise you ring as many as possible utility companies to find the best deal for you. Remember the more people you speak to the more deals, prices and options will be made available to you to ensure you get the right package/tariff your you individual requirements.

The next piece of information you need to know is about ROCs (Renewable Obligation Certificate).  These are issued by Ofgem, the industry regulator to people who generate electricity from renewable sources and can be sold for around £40 per ROC as an income on top of the money you make for the electricity. First you must go to the Ofgem website and register for an account.  Once this is done you will be paid extra money for the energy/electricity you make.

3-Planning permission may be required.

We would also strongly advise you speak with your local council regarding any planning permission you may need to be granted before you go down the road of generating you green electricity as you don’t want to be spending £000’s just to be told to remove it due to “regulation”.

Once you have decided on what your electricity requirements are, when you need the electricity and how much you will get for selling your excess you will then need to decide on what equipment will best suit you needs in order to achieve your goals of being self reliant in electricity.

WHAT EQUIPMENT YOU NEED

1-What equipment is available

The main two pieces of equipment you need are the type of system you chose i.e. wind, solar or air/ground heat pumps, and an export meter. In regards to the equipment please see section 2 of this guide and follow the web link for a full range of products. The export meter is also very important because this will allow you to take electricity from the grid as well a sell your green electricity to the provider you have chosen. The export meter will be fitted by the provider and will replace your current electricity meter, the provider you chose will be able to give full detailed descriptions relating to the meter and any costing involved with the installation.

2-Where is this equipment available from

There are many ways to generate your own electricity and these include solar, wind (HAWT & VAWT), hydro (water), air/ground source heat pumps. As each one of these options works differently, space, money and practicality play very important role in the decision making process. A very good source of information regarding what systems are available and which companies operate in your area is to visit the following website The Renewable Energy Centre this site covers all aspects of the systems including descriptions of what they are and how they work.  It also carries a good source of information relating to which companies supply the products you need and they can be sorted into local regions so you get local businesses to support you through the process of becoming a green energy producer.