0 Comments | Brentwood Gazette, Jul 28, 2010 | by Iain Johnson
A NEW business in Warley is planning on bringing some sunshine into residents’ lives by saving cash on their energy bills.
The Ecoteam, based in The Drive, is accredited by the Government under the Microgeneration Scheme as an installer of photovoltaic systems, commonly known as solar panel heating. Although the initial cost for a system is between Pounds 4,000 and Pounds 20,000, new legislation which was passed in April means homeowners with such a renewable energy system will be paid for the energy they produce.
The amount is determined by the Feed in Tariff (FIT), which currently stands at 41.3p for every kilowatt hour (Kwh) of electricity generated.
The Government has guaranteed the FIT rate for 25 years from the point a household starts producing energy.
There is also the option of selling unused electricity to energy companies at 3p per Kwh.
Clawed back It is estimated that through the cashback scheme the cheapest PV system could be paid for in 13 years while the initial cost of the top-of-the-range model will be clawed back in around 10 years because it generates more electricity to sell on.
Joint owner of The Ecoteam, which was set up in 2007, is Felipe Gorsuch-Browne, 42, a former construction worker from Hartswood Road.
He said: “We went into it because we were told it was a good area to move into and the Government has put good incentives in place for people on this.
“What I think is really important is to say that we are not like a typical double-glazing sales company and we are not interested in pressure sales.
“We are specialists in solar and we do not ask you to place an order during an initial visit.
“Also the cash back from the Government offers a better return than putting your money into many traditional places, such as bank accounts.”