PV a more cost effective option than better fabric to reduce carbon dioxide

The cost of PV panels has come down by around 85% in the last 5 years.

Maximising the amount of PV is now more cost-effective than enhanced energy efficiency measures in achieving CO₂ reductions over Part L (2013) for houses. In addition to cheaper PV panels the cost of PV panels per kWp substantially reduces as the amount installed increases. This is due to the costs related to the installation and the electrical inverter being relatively independent of the size of the installation.

Using the energy efficiency costs from the Part L 2013 Impact Assessment and quotations from suppliers we have built up the additional costs for a sample house over a Part L 2013 compliant baseline for two options. Option 1- maximising PV. Option 2 – a balanced fabric and PV approach.

The table below presents the specifications for both options.

The table below shows the costs associated with each strategy. It is evident from this that although the amount of PV panels in Option 1 is double that within Option 2, the cost increase is only 30%. Furthermore, due to the current low price of PV panels, it is evident that they are a more cost-effective strategy than enhanced energy efficiency measures.