Do churches have the potential to generate income from solar panels?
In the United Kingdom there are around 47,000 churches. Churches are typically aligned eastwards and possess large south-facing roofs which are in direct daylight for most of the day. The ideal roof for a PV installation is one that has a large area, faces due south and has a pitch of 30-40 degrees. The Church of England is urging churches to go green during its 'Shrinking the Footprint' campaign and is actively encouraging churches to install solar panels by producing guidance notes promoting the subject.
In the past the cost of solar panels and their installation was a limiting factor in their take up by churches but this improved after the implementation of feed in tariffs (FIT) by the government on the 1st of April 2010. Subject to conditions listed on the Energy Saving trust website churches can now benefit financially via a reduction in energy costs and income generated. A generation tariff is paid by the energy supplier for each unit of electricity generated and a monthly income is generated from the feed in tariff. This income greatly exceeds the installation costs which are generally paid for using a 25 year loan.
How do solar panels work?
Solar panels, alternatively known as photovoltaic systems, create electricity from light shining onto layers of silicon within the panel. The amount of energy produced is directly proportional to light intensity. Importantly, the energy can be used immediately or fed back into the grid generating income via a feed in tariff for the owner of the panels.
Are there any special considerations when installing solar panels onto a church roof?
There are a number of considerations which affect churches suitability for solar panel installation which are both environmental and historical. The roof structure and tiles must be strong enough to support a solar panel array with a typical weight of 30-60kg per panel depending on the type of panel chosen. The roof must not be overshadowed by large trees, the church spire or other buildings as this reduces the amount of electricity generated. It's important to consider how to attach the panels to the roof without damaging the ancient slates underneath. Two ideas are to install the panels resting on ballast filled boxes or to clamp the panels to the roof using specially designed fittings
The requirement for planning permission is subject to some confusion as many churches are listed buildings. It's possible that the listed status of a church does not impact upon the installation of solar panels as long as the building remains in ecclesiastical use. On the other hand English Heritage states that the installation of solar panels requires planning permission. It's important to note that solar panels with have an impact on the church appearance and English heritage has even recently produced guidance notes to investigate the use of solar panels on church roofs.
Typical installation costs?
The typical installation cost varies depending on the number, type of solar panels used and the size of the installation. For example, the installation of 126 solar panels on the roof of a modern church which should generate around 26,000 kilowatt hours of electricity cost £80,000 in 2009. A smaller installation of 56 panels generating 9,900 kwh of electricity cost £50,000 in 2010.
The installation costs are paid for many times over by the income generated via the feed in tariff. Many approved installers websites have feed in tariff calculators which calculate installation costs and income generated depending on the size of the system. Is it also important remember the costs of removing and recycling panels at the end of their predicted 25 year life span at a possible cost of thousands of pounds.
Grants, funding and cashback and installers
A large number of companies offering to fit solar panels for free has arisen since the government made feed in tariffs available. In this case the installation company benefits from the income from the generation and export tariffs for the site, while the customer will benefit from reduced energy bills through the electricity generated on the site.
It's worth considering raising the finances locally via a community share scheme so that all of the feed in tariff is used to cover the installation costs rather than paid to a rent a roof installation scheme. Information on the grants and funding available for solar panels installation is found at a number of websites including the Energy Saving Trust. Alternative sources of funding are the Landfill Communities Fund and energy companies run grant funds including the EDF Green Fund and Scottish Power Green Energy. Further ideas about funding can be found on the shrinkingthefootprint website.
If the solar panel system in consideration is larger 50kWh than the owner must apply through the Renewables Obligation Order feed-in tariff process for larger installations (ROO-FIT) as mentioned on Ofgems website. There are a significant number of online, MCS registered installers who will install solar panels on church roofs who can be located via this website.
