Solar Power Will Work in Kent
Kent is sunny enough for many residents to produce their own solar energy at home, according to a University of Greenwich at Medway lecturer.
Dr Alec Coutroubis, a Principal Lecturer in the School of Engineering, is urging people across the county to switch to sunshine to power their homes, saving money as well as the planet.
He set up a solar-power generator at his home in July last year and along with a team of students, he has been conducting personal research which has demonstrated that Kent enjoys enough sunlight to make the system work.
Dr Coutroubis says: “Kent has a reasonable climate and certainly as much sunshine as places such as Scandinavia and Germany, where solar power for domestic use is much more widely adopted. After a 15-month study our results show that there is enough sunshine in the county and that the Garden of England is a very suitable place for solar-power generation. The system I used is far less involved than having solar panels fitted on the roof and basically sat on top of my shed in my back garden.”
The system produces its own power and, should there not be sufficient, the national grid supply takes over as normal. Over-production of electricity can be sold back to the energy companies.
Dr Coutroubis says the results could be a first-step in persuading people in this country, as well as the government, that widespread use of solar power is a viable option.
He adds: “In parts of Europe, such as France and the Netherlands, people are encouraged to get involved with solar power through grants and incentives but here in the UK we have not caught up as we believe we do not have the climate to support it – that is wrong.
“If more people can be persuaded that this will pay for itself over time and that it works, they will be interested. The other benefit is that the energy is clean and does not produce carbon dioxide.
“It could result in a culture change where people re-evaluate the environmental efforts elsewhere such as recycling and are encouraged to be genuinely more sustainable in their attitude. If widely adopted it would be a better way to meet European Union targets on cleaner energy production.”
ENDS
For interview opportunities, please contact:
· University of Greenwich at Medway Public Relations, tel: 020 8331 9420
· Delphine Houlton, Andrew Metcalf or Jez Durrant, at Maxim, tel: 01892 513033