New electricity microgeneration programme announced

[Vega1447]

If some nice person can kit my gaff out with a solar panel that might halve my lecky bills for a semi-reasonable price, I don't mind paying them... sure we pay the ESB and Bord Gais anyway....I really can't understand what the problem is.

No prob at all!
Except very expensive - limited power output at 52degrees N, especially in our 8 month winter, no output at all at night, power needs to be converted to AC which wastes some power, panel is not going to last forever so how to dispose of it....

Does anyone have figures for expected purchase and installation costs (subsidy-free please) and power (in kWhr/day, for each month at 52 degrees N) for rooftop installation on (say) a typical 3 bed semi with main axis of house E-W so back of house (say) facing S.

That would be v interesting.

[mairteenpak]

Reengineering Buildings to cut their energy consumption by 90% is part of the solution.
Conservation should be the first step.

Capital works on hydo power provides cheap energy for centuries. The problem is that cheap energy is usually squandered.

No reason why we cant be self suffient Nationally providing green energy for all use

[Coles]

Fine Gael and Labour have failed to give any support for the Cleantech sector. Why? There is an opportunity to create sustainable quality employment but instead they're content to turn a blind eye as the domestic industry is strangled at birth by the ESB.