What’s hot in solar?
We’ve taken a look at what’s hot in solar energy to see you through an energy efficient summer outside.
•    Solar powered watches: Solar powered watches have been around since the 1970’s and are a worthy investment for kids and adults alike. Save yourself time and money with one of these, now available cheaply and in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Make sure you’re on time for the festivals and don’t miss your favourite acts.

•    Wind-up radio: if you’re going on a camping trip but can’t quite face the silence of the great outdoors, a wind-up radio is a good compromise!  Requiring no batteries, a wind-up radio just needs a few hours of sunlight to generate play.

•    Solar mobile phone charger:  keeping your phone charged isn’t always easy when you’re on the move, camping or simply too busy getting ready to jet away somewhere. Solar powered phone chargers are an affordable, eco-friendly and easy-to-use solution to charging on the go.

•    Solar power shower: solar showers are ideal for anyone who wants to stay fresh while on the move. The travel shower consists of a portable container of water which heats in sunlight, an attached shower head and the flexibility to hang from any branch you may be roaming near. These are a brilliant solution to staying clean while on the move and save you shower time when you finally get home!

These affordable, handy gadgets make it possible to take our energy efficiency outdoors and experiment with fun ways to be more eco-friendly. For more information about solar power in your home, check out Glow-worm’s dedicated page on Clearly Solar – tweet us and let us know about another other solar product you recommend for use at home and when out and about.

More and more of us are also considering alternative energy sources.  The Energy Saving Trust provides a pretty comprehensive guide on the different types available, click here for more information.

Renewable energy is incredibly important to us here at Glow-worm; our increasing range of renewable technologies is already helping many of you to avoid using the traditional energy sources that contribute towards climate change.

Did you know that over 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change come from home energy use?

By using renewable energy in your home you can avoid using energy sources that contribute to climate change.

Our Clearly Solar range, the Glow-worm solar thermal product, allows homeowners to produce energy from the sun.

Our newest addition to the range is the Clearly Hybrid, a product which combines the environmental benefits of an air to water heart pump with the practicality of a high efficiency boiler to create the UK’s first hybrid renewables system.

Due to launch in autumn 2010, the Clearly Hybrid is the first heating system which takes energy prices and outdoor temperature into account – it switches between a traditional gas condensing boiler and a 5kW air to water heat pump according to the most cost effective method of heating the home at the time.

Once installed a Clearly Hybrid system is adaptable to energy price changes, ensuring that the homeowner completely benefits from any developments in gas or electricity tariffs and supply.

We’ll be covering the launch of the Clearly Hybrid system in some detail over the next few months so keep your eyes peeled on the blog for the latest news.

If you’d like more information please email info@glow-worm.co.uk.

As such, it can be a pretty daunting experience what with so many different products to choose from and a host of websites providing the ‘ultimate guide’.

First things first – we’d recommend that you acquaint yourself with the renewable energy guide on the Energy Saving Trust’s website.

If you decide that solar is for you; be sure whether you want to invest in solar thermal or solar PV.
Solar thermal will harness solar energy for thermal energy i.e. heat as opposed to solar PV which helps generate energy into electricity for household appliances and lighting.

Glow-worm Commercial Director; Darren Finley advises the following tips to ensure you get the best from your installer:

-    Ensure your installer has had the necessary training; BPEC or LOGIC are standard industry qualifications.
-    Ask your installer to size and price the system.  If you’re unsure who to consult, ask a reputable solar thermal product manufacturer, like Glow-worm, for details of recommended solar thermal installers  in your area by calling 01773 596092.
-    Do as much research as you can on solar products – see our advice on Clearly Solar
-    Glow-worm’s straightforward solar thermal solution here.
-    A correctly sized and installed solar thermal system can contribute up to 60% of your domestic hot water needs.  Your installer should be able to help estimate savings and payback time fairly accurately once he or she has completed an inspection.

Solar thermal is a sound investment – as well as helping to reduce the cost of energy bills, renewable products or green features it can also help your property to be more appealing to potential buyers in the future.  In the summer months when temperatures improve many homeowners find that they don’t need their boilers on at all; all their hot water requirements can easily be met by Clearly Solar.

Click here to read more about the Renewable Heat Incentive, a Government scheme set to launch in April 2011, to provide individuals and businesses with support to switch to renewable sources (like Clearly Solar) for heating.

To help answer some of the commonly asked questions about solar thermal and our Clearly Solar range we took some time with Product Manager Paul Honeyman at Glow-worm to get some information from the experts.

Here’s what we found out:

Sally
Paul, a lot of people seem concerned that installing solar panels is a massive job – just how disruptive is it?

Paul
Do as much research as you can and find an installer you can trust – we have an approved list which means everyone listed has been trained to a high standard.  In an average house – providing there are no additional complications – you should be able to complete a 2/3 panel installation, with a new cylinder, in two days.

Sally
Are solar panels suitable for every type of property?

Paul
Most properties yes – if an appropriate roof isn’t available we even have A frame designs to sit in the garden.

Sally
We’ve been experiencing awful weather recently – just how effective is solar power in the UK with limited sunlight?

Paul
OK, we need to dispel myths here. We may get limited sunshine in the UK, but not sunlight, which is exactly what the panels work on – it’s called diffuse radiation, and will see panel temperatures get very high even on hazy days. Next myth is they won’t work when it’s cold….even when it’s -2 outside, if it’s a sunny winter’s day, the cylinder temperature will be raised to a respectable, useable level – worst case is the boiler tops up the last few degrees, but the important thing is that it’s not working from cold, as would be the case in a home without solar!

Sally
Is there an ideal type of house for solar?

Paul
South facing roof always best, but anywhere between Southeast and Southwest is OK. They should never be installed on a North facing roof in the Northern hemisphere.

Your installer will be able to size the system correctly to ensure you’ve got the right number of the panels in place for your property and requirements.

Sally
Great, thanks Paul – lastly how much will this all typically cost?

Paul
There’s no set cost for installing Clearly Solar panels as the price varies so much with the property type, the installation, the number of panels required etc.  However the price will normally range between £4000 – £5000.

If you have any more questions of the Clearly Solar range check out the product information on our website or leave your questions here for Paul to answer.

How much sun is needed to work?

Solar thermal doesn’t need lots of sun as it uses diffused solar radiation to convert the energy from the sun into heat. Even on cloudy days a solar thermal system will be able to capture solar radiation to produce domestic hot water for the home.

How much energy will my solar thermal system provide?

Overall you can heat on average 50-60% of your hot water for the year – in the summer this can be as high as 100% meaning that your boiler may not even have to fire up at all.

Do I need to get planning permission?

Planning permission is not needed to install a solar thermal system as they are now deemed as permitted developments.

Do I need a specialist to install it?

We’ve got a list of fully trained installers searchable by postcode so that you can find someone in your area. You can search and find out more information on our dedicated Clearly Solar website.

Please get in touch if there’s anything else you’ve ever wondered about Solar thermal and we’ll get our experts to answer your questions?

Well, after much demand we have launched a dedicated website on all things solar thermal. This –basically means a solar thermal system which includes a solar panel (or number of panels in some cases) to supply as much as 50-60% of your annual domestic hot water.

The new website can be found at www.glow-wormheating.co.uk/clearlysolar and answers lots of common questions so you can see whether you might be able to get a solar thermal system installed at your property and understand exactly what it might involve.

There is a common misconception that solar thermal needs a hot climate to function properly but actually the system works by collecting diffused sunlight to generate energy to heat your domestic hot water.

Many people also believe that installing solar thermal systems makes their homes more attractive to potential buyers and given that solar products will increase your rating on the Energy Performance Certificate (part of the Home Information Pack), it’s easy to understand why more of us are going for solar thermal systems.

Renewable energy for the home is no longer a thing of the future for those with radical green ideas – it’s accessible and affordable. What’s more it’ll also help you do your bit for the planet by reducing your carbon footprint and in the long term save you money by reducing your energy consumption.

So if you’re interested in solar thermal as an option for your home, why not take a look at our website or speak to one of the fully trained Clearly Solar installers in your area.