My Solar Potential

Now I’m a modest kind of guy but just for once I’ve  allowed myself to muse over the phrase ‘Discover Gavin’s Solar Potential’. It has a ring to it which I really like.

Anyway moving swiftly on,  you too have the same Solar Potential (apparently). You can discover this using an interesting online tool called Generaytor which acts as both a social network and a means by which you can assess the costs, benefits and savings of investing in solar energy. It does this by asking you a series of questions about the type of house you have, the type and size of roof, whether it is north or south facing and so on. It then calculates the energy and money you could save by investing in solar panels. Essentially it is a virtual ‘Try before you buy’!

This is not a gimmick, it is serious stuff and it tries to address the conundrum that face many people who are interested in social energy for domestic use but don’t have enough information to make an informed decision. Of equal if not greater value, is the possibility of joining an online community that allows people to share their knowledge and mentor others in making that vital shift from oil dependency to renewable energy. As such it could give a really welcome boost to local renewable energy groups such as TTL  Eco Open Houses initiative.

I contacted Julia Waterlow  from the TTL Energy Group who  has had a quick look and given it a cautious thumbs up. In her words:

“I think it’s fine as long as they keep the figures up to date and they should put more detail about their assumptions as a lot of solar people like the technical side”. She also felt it would be even more helpful if they added the savings with other renewables, in particular the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Over to you! give it a go and tell us what you think by leaving a comment on the blog.