Solar Panel Grants
The installation cost of solar panels has dropped dramatically over the past decade, making them more affordable than ever for many homeowners.
However, a standard 10 panel system suitable for an average Scottish home can still cost upwards of £5,000, a significant investment that puts many people off from making the switch.
A quick google will reveal a myriad of schemes and grants, both past and present, for solar panel funding and it can be difficult to know where to start.
This guide will make things a lot simpler, breaking down the key facts about why solar panels are so popular in Scotland, and giving a brief breakdown of the grants and loans that are currently available.
Why is solar so popular?
Solar panels have never been more popular in Scotland. Here are just a few of the main reasons why.
Lower Installation Costs
When solar panels first entered the market they were completely unaffordable for the vast majority of homeowners.
Over the past decade, however, advancements in production and manufacturing techniques have brought costs down massively and it is now possible to install solar panels for a fraction of the cost it once was.
Since 2010, the price of solar panels has been slashed by over 75% from over £20,000 to under £5,000 for the average system.
This has opened up a whole new market, and it is no surprise that more Scottish homeowners are deciding that now is the time to invest.
Clean energy
Solar energy is incredibly environmentally friendly and is one of the few energy sources that will never run out.
With climate change all over the news and at the forefront of many people’s worries, solar panels are a great way to make your home more environmentally friendly, massively reducing the amount of fossil fuels you will need to use to power your home.
If you are looking to shrink your carbon footprint extremely quickly, there is no better way to do so than by installing solar panels.
Reliability
Power cuts are a constant threat when you rely solely on grid energy, particularly in Scotland, where the weather can be so unpredictable.
Solar panels provide you with a back-up at these times providing you with power even when the rest of your neighbourhood is without.
Protect yourself from rising energy bills
A combination of global unrest, and struggling economies, means that the UK is currently facing the worst energy crisis in 50 years.
Prices are rising at an unprecedented rate and show no signs of slowing anytime soon. Reducing your reliance on grid energy can provide you with a certain level of protection against these fluctuations, allowing you to generate your own completely free clean energy that is not influenced by outside factors.
At this current moment, Solar Panels Scotland can save the average household about £500 a year, but the more prices rise, the more you will save.
Once you start to see these savings, the initial installation cost suddenly doesn’t seem so bad, especially if you were able to secure an interest free loan that lets you pay off the costs over time.
Get paid for energy you produce
Not only will you save money by reducing the amount of energy you need to buy from your energy provider, but you can also make some yourself by selling it back to them!
Under the Smart Export Guarantee Scheme (SEG) energy providers are obligated to offer a tariff for purchasing renewably generated energy from their customers.
This means that in times of high supply, on a sunny day, for example, when you are not able to use all the energy create inside your own home, it will not go to waste, and you will even make some money back.
Solar Panel Grants
Solar panel grants are financial incentives, usually offered by the Government, to encourage people to install panels on their home.
They were introduced in an attempt to increase renewable energy production and move closer to meeting net zero targets.
Unfortunately, many of the original grants that directly covered the cost of installation, such as the Green Homes Grant, are no longer available.
In the UK, the only two remaining grants that do fund solar panel installation in domestic homes are the ECO4 and LA Flex but even these are only available to low income households in limited situations.
Luckily, as mentioned, solar panel costs have never been lower so even though you might not be able to get 50% off like you could a decade ago, you will still end up paying significantly less for your panels.
To help alleviate the initial costs even further, Scottish homeowners can also apply for an interest free loan of up to £5,000 that can be paid off over 5-10 years under the Home Energy Scotland Loan Scheme.