Planning permission and the solar panel

This is a picture of 3 solar thermal panels, installed in an integrated fashion - i.e. they are sunk into the roof, mostly below the slates. It is possible to place a solar panel directly on top of a roof; in fact, it is cheaper and easier to do so. However, by integrating the panel into the roof, it protrudes less (hopefully no more than 25mm) and is therefore less visible to the outside world. In fact, an integrated solar panel is less obvious than a normal velux window.

We have opted for this type of installation because the house is located in a conservation area and the council officers who police building in a conservation area are quite particular about what is permitted; and what is not. We hope that, by integrating the panels in the black slate roof, we will be granted permission to install them. We would be interested to hear what you think - do they look ugly? Should they be allowed on the roofs of 100 year old buildings?

It is worth pointing out (just in case the planning officers read this blog!) that unless you stand on a wall in front of the house opposite, it is not actually possible to see the roof from the street.

It is also worth pointing out that whilst a solar thermal system will typically provide 15-20% of a normal house’s energy needs (about 70-80% of its hot water), in a very low energy house like the one we are building, this number will increase to more than 50%. In other words, having solar thermal system in this project is absolutely central to the building’s energy performance.

One final point - given the amount of lip-service the government is paying to small scale renewables and a future of distributed (decentralised) energy generation, you would have thought that much of the often unnecessary red tape in this area would have fallen away. But, just as for wind farm development, there appears to be as much resistance from our bureacracy as ever. If we are to stand a chance of weaning ourselves off gas/coal and onto energy efficiency and renewables, this needs to change; quickly.