Published on: 10 November 2018
Last Updated on: 22 February 2020
The use of solar energy has grown by leaps and bounds in recent times, and now, you don’t just see it in residential or commercial buildings any longer – solar panel systems are now being utilised for more schools as well. The government encourages this growth and has even come up with its own form of support for schools and other educational institutions wanting to go solar. There are indeed a lot of benefits brought by having your own solar energy, but what else can you expect from it? How can you make sure that your solar investment is fully utilised? Here’s everything you need to know about solar energy for schools: benefits, expectations, and more.
How you can save on expenses – and earn:
With solar energy, there are three ways through which you can save and earn on your expenses. One way is with your actual usage of energy from the grid. Since you produce your own energy, your energy usage from the grid will go down, thus resulting in lower electricity bills. The second way is through what you can earn based on the electricity your panels can produce. This the Feed In Tariff. The third way through which you can save and make money is when you get paid for whatever electricity isn’t used by your school. This is referred to as the Export Tariff.
Will the sun be enough?
This is one of the more common questions asked by many, and the answer is a simple yes. There is enough sun, even in the UK, for your solar panel system to work – and work well, at that. Although bright sunlight is always best in regard to solar energy, your solar panel system will continue to produce energy even when the days are cloudy. For every 1 kilowatt of solar panel installed, you can expect to produce an average of between 750 to 900-kilowatt hours of energy. If you are located in the south, your system will generate even more.
Is it the best solution for my school?
Granted, while a solar energy system is generally a good and worthwhile investment, you still have to be sure that it’s the right solution for your school, as experts in solar in Cheshire like Atlantic Renewables attest. Many of the schools in the UK are suitable, however. For instance, does your school have a roof that is flat or pitched and is the roof facing south-east, south-west, or south? If it is, that’s already good news. Also, if you don’t have any buildings or trees shadowing your roof, this is a good sign as well. You should also have a strong roof, although most roofs are already strong enough to hold solar panels.
How to pay for it:
There are different things you can do to help you pay for a solar panel system for your school, one of which is help from your local education authority. You can ask them to provide you with the capital you need at a very low or even zero rate of interest. Another way through which you can finance your solar panel system is to go to your local council. Community funding is also possible, and you may be surprised at how many communities have already worked together to bring a solar energy system to fruition for schools.
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More homeowners are increasingly turning to solar power as an alternative energy source due to its ability to lower electricity bills and boost home resale values.
While going green is an excellent move, installing and maintaining solar power systems are associated with high costs. By learning about the factors influencing them, you can easily decide if switching to solar power is worth your hard-earned money.
Here Are Five Prime Factors That Impact Solar Panel Installation And Maintenance Costs
1. Your preferred solar panel contractor
Selecting the right solar panel installer is critical as you transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. Proper installation and maintenance can make or break your project's cost-effectiveness, so don't be tempted by low prices alone! To get ahead of potential problems down the road, research companies for their qualifications and reviews before making any commitments.
Investing in an experienced contractor may come at a higher upfront price tag but will ensure successful integration into renewable energy sources with long-term savings benefits. When you contact us, we will answer any inquiries regarding the cost of our solar power installation and maintenance solutions.
2. Roof type and angle
The type and angle of your roof significantly impact your solar panel's installation cost and maintenance. Roofs that are flat, slate, or shingle can be challenging to work with, and installation may take more time and effort, which leads to higher costs. The angle and orientation of the roof also play a role. A roof with a steep slope facing south will provide optimum sun exposure, reducing installation costs and improving energy production.
3. Structural issues
Structural issues also affect solar panel installation costs and maintenance. The integrity of the roof and the structural load-bearing capability are essential considerations. Reinforcement may be necessary if the roof cannot accommodate the solar panel's weight, which will increase installation costs. Similarly, any structural issues that require repairs, such as rot, sagging, or cracks, would require rectification before installation, which increases installation costs.
4. Solar system add-ons
When upgrading your solar power system, several accessories could enhance its performance. Battery backup systems can store excess energy for later use and offer protection when the sun isn't shining as brightly or in case of an outage.
While these add-ons come with additional costs upfront, they may provide long-term financial savings, greater reliability to offset any weather variations affecting production levels, and added peace of mind during emergencies.
5. Local costs
Local codes and regulations can also influence solar power installation cost and maintenance. Permits and interconnection fees, for example, can vary between localities, and you must confirm any costs before proceeding with the installation. Licensing, inspection, and maintenance costs are additional expenses that may be imposed in your locality.
Conclusion
Investing in a solar energy system could be an effective way to reduce your utility bills. Still, the timeline of when you can expect to see those savings depends on several factors. In sunny areas with high current energy costs, these systems can pay off within five years, though other locations may have longer wait times that stretch out into ten or 20-year cycles before any real return is seen.
It ultimately comes down to your value on environmentally friendly solutions and long-term investments versus the more immediate financial gains from traditional power generation sources.
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The "fight" for a cleaner planet has been going on for a long time. People are trying to beat themselves because they and the things they use are the main polluters. Cars and everything that uses fossil fuels are among them, considering their emissions of exhaust gases into the atmosphere are huge.
At the global level, governments make efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, knowing these are the biggest polluters. That's why the desire to find alternative sources of energy from renewable sources has been present for a long time. While there are already certain options in use, as you can read here, new solutions are constantly coming up with improved performance and lower CO2 emissions.
Alternative fuels are essential for sustainable carbon-free energy supply and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. And while you're probably already familiar with their use, HVO (which stands for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) might be new to you. This low-carbon liquid fuel has gained attention lately because it seems like the long-awaited solution to pollution issues.
About The HVO Fuel
HVO implies using cooking oils and similar fatty waste as fuel. That's not an entirely new concept since the use of processed vegetable oils in diesel engines has been known for more than a century. Nevertheless, it's a new hype among eco-conscious consumers because it's plant-based and very clean. Its CO2 emission and the number of PM particles are almost 90% lower than diesel and kerosene, fossil fuels that are still widely used.
The base of HVO is vegetable oil, that is, used cooking oil, such as sunflower, peanut, grapeseed, etc. However, it can also be made of both food-grade and non-food-grade oils (like palm or soy), animal fat residues, and tall oil. In their original state, these liquids could not be used as fuels, so they undergo hydrotreatment. It serves to change their consistency and composition for use in standard diesel engines.
Hydrotreatment involves the use of hydrogen to eliminate oxygen from the oils. This treatment takes place at very high temperatures, and then glycerides, or fat components, are separated. That's a refining process that leaves this new fuel with minimal impurities, meaning that, during its combustion, there will be no harmful by-products and gases. That means less damage to the engine itself but also drastically less pollution.
The Use Of HVO
In general, HVO represents an alternative to fossil fuels, especially diesel, one of the major pollutants globally. So this new energy source can be used in all engines made for diesel. It means that its most common application will be in car engines. Still, it has found its purpose in off-road and agricultural machinery, boats, and generators. Some of the major truck makers have already made vehicles powered by HVO, as in this biodiesel-powered racing truck.
This new fuel from reputable manufacturers like SyntechBiofuel.com is equally usable in modern diesel engines as well as in older types that don't have electronic fuel injection. They will have almost the same performance in operation as if regular diesel was used, only with much less damage to the engine, the entire circuit, and the environment.
Alternative fuels also have a huge potential to become the primary energy source for heating systems. Oil and gas still dominate in this area, but more and more households and industrial facilities are turning to alternative solutions. For instance, heat pumps are a popular yet costly solution.
HVO can be an even better and more cost-effective option if you plan to go green, that is, to switch to it from standard heating systems that use oil or kerosene. This venture won't cost you extra money because there's no need for system modifications and add-ons, as would eventually be the case with heat pumps.
Benefits Of Switching To HVO Fuel
As said, using HVO cuts the emission of harmful gases by up to 90%, depending on what makes the base of this fuel. That results from clean combustion because there are no impurities and PM particles in this processed liquid. Moving on, it means that engines will utilize a higher percentage of fuel, so their consumption will be lower. Simply put, HVO is a cleaner and more economical solution than diesel.
This fuel is also sustainable, as it's made from waste (used cooking oil and animal fat). It also emits much less greenhouse gases than other fuels. As there's no carbon in HVO, there are no toxic and potentially carcinogenic combustion by-products.
Another advantage of using HVO in standard diesel engines is that there is no need for their upgrades. But if you plan to use it as a replacement for heating oil in oil-fired boilers, there might be some minimal changes to your existing system. In any case, this can bring significant savings to both individuals and companies that, for some reason, have relied on fossil fuels until now.
Because it doesn't contain oxygen molecules, HVO has a fairly long shelf life. So you can store it in specialized containers for up to 10 years without fear it will lose its properties and viscosity. For the same reason, HVO's freezing point is lower than that of ordinary diesel. Also, it won't harm the environment in case of accident spillage or leak.
How HVO Differ From FAME?
FAME is biodiesel, which isn't the same as HVO, although there are certain similarities. For starters, both are plant-based. But what makes a significant difference is how they're made. FAME utilizes esterification, which turns fatty molecules into esters and keeps oxygen molecules in it.
As explained, HVO is obtained by a refinery process that removes oxygen from fats, leaving them ester-free, clean, stable, and non-prone to oxidation. So, unlike FAME, hydrotreated vegetable oils can't spoil, thicken, or degrade during storage.
HVO is the fuel of the future, and there are many good reasons for that. It's a clean, non-toxic, sustainable, and economical alternative to diesel. It contributes to reducing the global carbon footprint, bringing no harm to the living world and the environment.
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In the face of exhaustion of so many natural resources and ever-increasing pollution some of them cause, the need has arisen for renewable and less aggressive sources of energy. You must have heard of so many alternatives to fossil fuels which, unlike them, can be regenerated or replenished.
If you are environmentally conscious or trying to become so, you are probably thinking about introducing some of those alternative resources, at least partially, since any decrease in CO2 emission or electricity usage is helpful to the planet. Numerous tech companies are attempting to introduce these technologies into our everyday lives like https://www.streetlights-solar.com/solar-street-lighting.html.
Here is a brief overview of the most popular and most convenient renewable energy sources. The most popular ones are biomass, geothermal, wind, solar and water. They are all very useful and applicable in the industry, however not all of them can be easily introduced in your household, so here some more info about that, too.
Solar Energy Systems
Photovoltaic (solar) systems have become the most widely spread renewable source of energy in households. Solar modules turn solar energy into electricity. They can be used to provide electricity, heating and hot water. These photovoltaic modules, better known as solar panels, have no movable parts, so they’re quite reliable and don’t require much maintenance.
The most common way they are made is a group of photovoltaic cells in order to reach a size and electrical output which makes it viable and usable. They are really practical and suitable to use both in rural and urban areas because they don’t take up too much space, they don’t make any noise and aren’t heavy. Once installed, these devices are completely independent of the electrical grid and can power the devices that are connected to them.
There are several types of photovoltaic cells, so always contact solar energy experts for help before you make a decision which ones to install. Solar panels come in different sizes, from 2 to 350 Wp electricity output, but the most widely sold and used sizes are from 160 to 240 Wp. Photovoltaic modules are either stand-alone, usually installed in a frame, free-standing or on a roof, or most often integrated into the building itself.
Wind Generators
I’m sure you’ve all seen those huge wind turbines beside the road, but did you know you can actually have a wind generator at home? Wind turbines normally use horizontal axis with propeller-like blades, but wind more aerodynamic wind generators and the ones with the vertical axis are also being developed in order to try and overcome the problem of noise in urban usage. They are less efficient than the horizontal axis turbines but offer a compromise which can bring them to the urban households.
Household wind generators are normally used to charge the battery bank for stand-alone electricity systems. They are usually installed in distant, semi-rural locations in order to optimize the output potential. Wind generators for domestic use are usually sized from about 300W to as high as 20kW. It is necessary to assess the location’s potential before choosing the size.
Combination of wind and solar systems is ideal for the whole year-round, as the photovoltaic panels are the best in the summer, and wind generators are the most efficient in winter.
Small Hydro Generators
These generators are the least frequent domestic source of renewable energy as they operate by converting the flowing water energy to electricity and locations with sufficient source of the flowing water energy are incredibly difficult to find. Again, just like with the two previous systems, it is necessary to consults the experts assess the potential of hydro system site.
Despite the apparent difficulties, more and more people are opting to use some degree of renewable energies in a bid to combat the worst of climate change and global warming.
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