Red

The Future's Solar

28 Jun 2003

The prevalence of information technology on the Festival site may be somewhat against the ethos of the festival but like it or not it is here to stay. With this in mind, the festival’s official communications partner Orange is providing a mobile phone recharging service based on renewable energy for festival goers.

Rather than recharging phones entirely off the grid, Orange is using a solar photovoltaic, or solar pv, array to provide 25% of the electricity used at their two recharging facilities on site. The 1kW (1000 Watts) array is 7.5 metres square and can recharge 120 mobiles simultaneously without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

It is not just large-scale prestige projects like Orange’s where solar pv can be used; anyone who has owned a solar-powered calculator will have felt the benefits of solar pv technology. Indeed, many commercial and domestic sites across the country now use the technology to provide a considerable proportion of their electricity requirements.

Solar pv cells even come in the form of roof tiles, so if you have a roof that is in need of renovation you could install tiling that immediately starts paying for itself in the form of greatly reduced electricity bills.

Orange are also testing a prototype of a two person tent that has a solar panel on one side from which you can recharge your phone (what else). The solar tent has been 18 months in development and if successful could be available commercially before too long.

Though solar pv is more expensive than the more well established solar water heating (currently a domestic pv array will cost you several thousand pounds), there is a DTI grant of around 50 per cent to part fund installations. With the UK committed to reducing its CO2 emissions from 1990 levels by 12.5% by 2010, the future’s bright, the future’s solar.

For further information about solar photovoltaics or any renewable technology visit:
www.cse.org.uk/renewables or www.cat.org.uk

For information about the DTI pv grants scheme visit www.est.org.uk/solar or call 0800 298 3978.

People living in the Bristol and Somerset area can also contact their local Renewable Energy Advice Service on: 0800 512 012

Jamie Walters

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