News / solar power
Bristol charity working on app that shows how much power your roof could generate
A Bristol-based charity will be launching an app to help people understand how much energy could be generated on roofs in their local area.
The Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) is working closely with homeowners, community groups, local authority representatives, and other energy and business industry stakeholders to bring this app to the market in early 2023.
Solar power has increased considerably in the UK during the past years. In the face of rising energy bills, the interest and demand for renewable energy options have boomed.
is needed now More than ever
Renewable energies represent 33 per cent of the national energy production. However, there is still potential for solar power to expand.
https://twitter.com/HelloCSE/status/1561625470101102592?s=20&t=0Y9y-Es1I2lGPrctlKWZRg
CSE works on helping people ‘change’ the way we think and act on energy. Amid a climate emergency, as well as an economic recession on the line, alternative sources of power become a key tool.
“With the looming energy crisis, more and more people are open to renewable technology. And with soaring energy bills, the payback period for solar PV is getting smaller,” said CSE’s head of communications, Natasha Collins-Daniel.
“We want the app to support individual households, communities, and local authorities to accelerate decision-making and investment planning.
“Transforming the way we generate and use energy so we produce less carbon is a key to tackling the climate emergency and reaching net zero targets.
“Solar PV is one of the most commercially viable net-zero technologies but despite its huge potential, only 3.3 per cent of the UK’s 29m homes have solar panels. Uptake is hampered by uncertainty over site and rooftop viability and a lack of local, trusted information and support.”
Bristol City Council already has a tool on their website that estimates a ‘rough idea’ of how much energy people can make from using solar panels on specific locations. However, CSE’s app seeks to get more specific, taking into account the orientation, pitch and shading from nearby buildings, and trees for each individual roof.
Collins-Daniel added: “We’re hoping that by providing quick, accurate and independent predictions, the new tool will be able to support users to make decisions about the viability of installing solar PV on specific buildings before they take the next step to speak to installers.”
This piece of independent journalism is supported by NatWest and the Bristol24/7 public and business membership
Main photo: We The Curious
Read next:
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- £95,000 awarded to Bristol organisations for taking climate an nature action
- ‘Let’s reclaim the Gorge for the people’
- Could ‘living roofs’ on bus stops boost Bristol’s biodiversity?
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