Photovoltaic solar panels being fitted to a roof in Totnes, Devon. Photograph: David Pearson/Alamy Photovoltaic panels pay off for those who get feed-in tariffs but home installations have dried up without incentives This year’s electricity output from the solar panels on the house roof is already well past the previous record since their installation 10 years ago. Part of the reason is the exceptionally sunny spring, plus the lack of pollution following lockdowns. Particularly significant in Bedfordshire is the curtailment of air traffic that in certain weather conditions used to leave contrails crisscrossing an otherwise clear blue sky. A decade ago photovoltaic solar panels were expensive and generous government feed-in tariffs were needed to encourage the industry. Those who took the plunge should have got their money back by now and, if my local estate agent is to be believed, added several thousand pounds to the value of their property. Solar panels give a home an income, often more than £1,000 a year. Panels are so cheap now that it is commercially viable to build solar farms in sunny spots without subsidy and get a good return on capital. Many businesses and local authorities aiming to become carbon neutral […]

Latest Articles
Vincent Callebaut proposes a green, food-producing footbridge for Paris
Vincent Callebaut Architectures has unveiled fantastical designs for the Green Line, a futuristic “inhabited footbridge” in Paris that would run on renewable energy,...
Global heating could stabilize if countries go net-zero emissions, scientists say
This story was originally published by The Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The world may be...
The Surprising Ways America Can Hit Net-Zero Emissions by 2050
Even without reading the report, you can probably guess some of the key points: More renewables. More transmission. Electrify transportation. Carbon capture and...
Plug Power Raises $1.5B to Tap Into Green Hydrogen Economy in Asia
Plug Power's partnership with SK Group will offer entry into Asian markets for green hydrogen for transport and power. (Credit: Plug Power) That...
Kauai to Hit 80% Renewable Power With Solar-Charged Hydro Storage
The existing Puu Opae reservoir could become part of a novel solar powered grid storage system on Kauai. (Photo courtesy of KIUC) Hawaii's...
How carbon-smart farming is catalyzing the big bucks needed to transform the way America...
Courtesy of C.J. Clouse Close Authorship The Stone House Farm in New York is home to a new carbon marketplace tied to regenerative...