The sun's rays can be harnessed to heat water and to generate electricity. Both technologies use panels to catch light but that is where the similarities end.
Solar Power
Photovoltaics (PVs) use energy from the sun to create electricity. The average domestic system costs from £8,000, will provide a third to half of the average family's annual supply, and will save up to £100 on the annual electricity bill, but the high capital cost means the payback period is long.
Cost: £8,000
Return: 30 years
A solar water-heating system can provide around half of a household's water heating needs over the course of a year. In the summer it may well be all the heating necessary, but in the winter it will need to be supplemented by more traditional methods in order to meet your demands. It'll cost you £2,000 to £5,000 to have installed, depending on the type of panel chosen and the size. A household now using mains gas is likely to make a saving of around £60 to £90 a year on its energy bill.
Cost: £2,000 to £5,000
Return: 33 years
You've got to be really keen to want a giant wind turbine whirring away at the bottom of the garden. But the new breed of rooftop mini turbines, just two metres high, has tweaked the interest of many would-be greens. Depending on its size and location, it can provide enough electricity and hot water to save a third on the average household energy bill.
Courtsey of Cai Taylor
The Centre for Alternative Technology is sceptical, however. 'We wouldn't recommend attaching one to a building because the load and vibration might cause damage. And if it's only a small wind turbine, how much energy is it going to contribute anyway?' asks Sally Oakes, spokesperson for the Centre. 'The best place to put one is in a clear spot as high up as possible (6m or more). If you live in a town, solar PV as a means of generating renewable energy is much more viable.' Prices range from £3,500 for a basic model to more than £8,000. You will also need planning permission - and eco-enthusiastic neighbours.
Contact British Wind Energy on 020 7689 1960 or www.bwea.com for info. Good Energy's Home Generation scheme pays people with mini wind turbines (or solar panels and micro hydro systems) for the electricity they generate - even the units they use on site.
Cost: from £3,500
Return: over 30 years
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