I’ve felt the benefits of solar panels first hand - Yorkshire Post Letters

I read Jack Ayre's article about potential for solar energy with interest. He's right, there are many benefits and if more householders installed solar panels there should be no need to desecrate the countryside by taking good farmland out of use.

My own experience may be relevant. Rocketing fuel bills spurred my interest in solar power. Following a Yorkshire Post article about a local solar installation firm, Green Building Renewables installed panels at my home just over a year and half ago.

They were fitted on a west facing roof, not an ideal location, but in the first twelve months saved approximately £300 in electricity costs. Those savings have continued. Even in the darkest winter months there is still some electricity produced, worth having.

By feeding surplus electricity back into the Grid, I also obtained Smart Energy Guarantee payments from an energy company. They have even exceeded the value of electricity savings, though applying was a somewhat bureaucratic process.

Overall installing solar panels with a back up battery has proved a financially worthwhile investment, at least equal to most building society interest rates.

A householder with a south facing roof should be able to generate bigger benefits and if you can use solar water heating savings could be higher than through generating electricity.

Despite the benefits I still see many homes, farms and industrial buildings with potential to generate electricity to benefit their owners and the environment.

You don't have to be an eco freak, nor even environmentally conscious, to enjoy savings from solar energy. So I recommend taking the plunge, you will not regret it.

And thanks to The Yorkshire Post for the article that sparked this installation.