Philippa Forresters’ Solar Installation
It is fairly typical of this country that the day that we had waiting so long for, the installation of my solar panels didn’t so much dawn as slowly emerge, and the kind of day that emerged was the rainy kind. Not just drizzle or mizzle the fine misty rain that we have in the West country but full on vertically sheeting rain.
‘Oh well’ I thought staring gloomily at the scaffolding which had been carefully erected in preparation the day before, ‘they probably won’t turn up!’
But they did, early and they were raring to go. Fortified by tea but just a quick one because I had a school run to do and they were keen to get up the scaffold, they had started before I had gathered the P.E. kits and snack boxes. By the time I got back their waterproofs were weighed down by water but it still didn’t stop them working.
Next came a brief discussion on where exactly I wanted the meter and I was back into the house with the kettle on.
By the time I had done an hours work it the office and loaded the dishwasher they were all over the roof fixing framework and by the time the sun finally came out in the afternoon they were ready for it with the solar panels. I went out then too! A fair-weather observer! The day couldn’t have gone more smoothly thanks to a team who managed to be good humoured despite all that the British summertime could throw at them at what should be the peak month of solar harvesting.
By the end of the day we were generating, a really exciting moment for me and I was flipping around the displays on the meter working out just how much we were generating in pence and Watts. The kids and the husband were, at first, a little sceptical about the look of the barn now that we have the panels on them, and there were mentions that it now looked like a solar calculator! But now they have all commented on the fact that they just don’t notice them any more, I do notice them though, every day and when the sun shines and I look at them I feel great. These panels on my roof are such a simple way to generate zero carbon energy and the feed in tariff makes for such a good investment now that this does seem to be a win – win situation. It feels particularly good for me as someone who really cares about the natural world to put my money where my mouth is and do something really positive about global warming. We may have started off in the rain but since then the sun has been shining and I have an extra reason to enjoy every minute of it!
Anglian Home Improvements raising the standard since 1966. Visit the Anglian website for information on our solar panels.
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