In the last 10 years there has been a significant growth in Norwich of the green movement'
. This can be seen in the large number of Green Party Councillors that have been elected in Norwich recently a total of 21 over the last 8 years!
Other groups that have been set up to support the campaign are transition Norwich' and the campaign against climate change'.
As the government introduces the Feed-in-tariffs throughout the UK, will we begin to see solar panels popping up all over Norwich and the surrounding area?
Norwich is often considered to be one of the UK's greenest cities, to see if the government incentives will nudge' people towards installing their own renewable energy, it might be worth considering how many residents are making the investment to go renewable.
Because a large majority of the houses in central Norwich are Victorian terraces, it is likely that most people will opt for solar panels rather than wind turbines. They are also more conspicuous. But how many people will invest in this type of energy?
There has certainly been an increase in local solar panels installers and suppliers being set up in Norwich, most residents seem to not be aware of the incentives being put in places to encourage homeowners to use solar energy. Having spoken to a number of green activists, most feel the government should have done a better job of promoting the incentives of investing.
Another option and one that is more affordable is changing to a green energy supplier such as Ecotricity' and The Good Energy' who offer electricity that comes from 100% renewable sources. Household names such as Marks and Spencer are also starting to do the same.
I spoke to a couple of people who had invested in renewable energy and were already starting to reap the benefits. One of them already had solar hot water, but installed PV solar panels just after the Feed-In-Tariffs came in. "It's was amazing to get my first cheque through for just under 300 after 3 months! Our electricity bills have gone down by 40% also it's incredible to think this will last for the next 25 years!"
I predict that over the next few years providing the new government does not cut the tariff we will see a dramatic rise in solar panels across cities like Norwich. Large energy companies and Councils are considering rolling out free mass solar panel installations for homes. All the homeowner needs to do is give their feed-in-tariff money to their solar panel supplier and they can enjoy a 40% reduction in electricity costs.