Solar energy is hot stuff
teams that fit solar panels on homes – double between 2005 and 2006. Donnachadh McCarthy, who offers “eco audits” from his solar-powered south London home, thinks the Cameron effect shouldn’t be ignored.
“He’s definitely made solar sexy. Lately, I’ve had several rich, naturally Tory, clients who want solar, and their genuine motivation is to reduce carbon emissions,” he says. “But there are a host of other reasons. One family was concerned about its lighting going off in the case of an energy emergency or oil crisis.”
There’s also a practical, very British reason for our interest in solar: money. With the average household’s electricity bill above £900 (and set to rise again with British Gas’s latest price rises), solar panels start to make sense at £4,000, after you’ve received a government grant available for installation. They can add value, too. When two
