NRFC joins We Support Solar campaign

(24/03/2009)

The 'We Support Solar' campaign, a new campaign for solar power in the UK, was launched in February 2009 by the UK PV Manufacturers Group and is supported by a growing number of organisations including the UK Green Buildings Council, thousands of individuals and 150 MPs.

The National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NRFC) has joined 'We support solar'. The NFRC and roofers across the UK have realised that up to 200,000 new skilled green jobs could be created in the solar power and roofing sectors in the UK if a “feed-in tariff” (FIT) is set at an effective rate to encourage much greater take-up of the technology as we approach our 2020 CO2 reduction targets.

The 'We Support Solar' campaign is targeted at the UK government to ensure they set an appropriate rate for the forthcoming FIT. The Government is currently designing the UK’s FIT, due to be introduced in 2010, which could mean even small household generators get paid approximately three to four times more for the solar electricity they generate from solar photovoltaics (PV) than they pay for the electricity from the national grid.

So, you would be paid both to protect the environment from CO2 emissions and yourself from rising electricity bills. FITs, in almost every other country across Europe, are encouraging thousands of people to install solar PV on the roofs of homes, public buildings and businesses. The same could happen here from April 2010.

Ray Horwood, NFRC Chief Executive said: “The NFRC fully support the need for a robust feed-in tariff to encourage the uptake of solar in the UK. The time has come for roofs to be active parts of a building to help meet the national CO2 targets, to provide a viable solution to meet challenging future building regulations, and to support a generation of new jobs for roofers who are eager to become involved in the emerging green economy. A strong FIT for solar will help tackle the triple challenge of credit, energy and climate.”

Solar PV has proven to be a very effective way of generating clean electricity in the UK as it relies on daylight not heat, requires little or no maintenance and will generate power for forty years plus. Many new homes are now being built across the country with solar electric roof tiles and slates; an innovative way of replacing traditional roof tiles with solar power that can be installed by local roofers with minimal training and are virtually unnoticeable on buildings.

The UK PV Manufacturers Association was set up by Sharp UK, Romag Ltd and Solarcentury. The Association was established in November 2008 to promote the solar PV manufacturing industry in the UK and to work with Government to help build the UK market for the technology. There are centres of UK PV manufacturing at Wrexham (Sharp UK), County Durham (Romag Ltd) and at Pencoed near Bridgend (Sony/Solarcentury).

Related categories:  Environmental legislation   Solar power and photovoltaics