Breaking the price barrrier for solar to cut your electricity bills for ‘good’

HomeSun Head Office | No. 1 Olympic Way | Wembley | Middlesex HA9 0NP | www.homesun.com | T 0844 824 0000

Produce your own free energy

Solar PV could cut your electricity bills by a third PLUS generate a healthy income.For most of us, a large proportion of our income goes on energy bills - and they’ve risen by 70% in just over 5 years.1 Many people feel incredibly vulnerable to price rises by the big power companies.

It doesn’t have to be like that. Solar PV (photovoltaic) puts you more in control, reduces your electricity bills, your carbon footprint and could even improve the value of your home. And it isn’t any longer only for those people who can afford to wait for 20 years or so to break even.

Improving quality, reducing costHomeSun has built its reputation on making quality solar more accessible to more people. We introduced ‘Free Solar’for example to the UK, and we’re proud to say, we’ve installed more Free Solar and SolarShare systems in more homes, with more solar options, than any other solar company. Since government changed the rules on the subsidies that made Free Solar possible for so many homeowners, we’ve turned our attention to Buy Solar. We’re using our size, popularity and partnership approach to deliver a solar package which ticks all the right boxes on performance, price and peace of mind.

Save on electricity – and make an income from your panelsYou could be saving around 1/3 on your electricity bills with solar.2 Not bad. But the benefits don’t stop there. In 2010, government introduced the ‘Feed in Tariff’ subsidy for solar. It means that you save on your electricity bills with solar, and also get paid (the subsidy) for all the electricity you generate. So you save and earn in three ways:

You save about 1/3 on your electricity bills because you generate some of your own (solar electricity) for free on your roof.You earn a ‘generation tariff’ of 21p/kWh for every unit of solar electricity you produce, regardless of how much of it you use.You earn an ‘export tariff’ of 3.1p/kWh for every unit of solar electricity you don’t use and which is fed into the national grid.

Both the export and generation tariffs are linked to RPI (so they go up in value), they are tax free and will remain so for 25 years. But there are changes for anyone installed after 1st April and 1st July. So if ever you were thinking of solar, now is the time.

1. uSwitch 2011. 2. Based on a medium user (3,300kWhp.a.) with a well sited 3kWp system using half the electricity generated by the panels in their home. 3. uSwitch Dec 2011 quoted 15.9p as the average cost of a unit of electricity (averaged across the regions and major suppliers) for a medium user (consuming 16,500kWh of gas and 3,300kWh of electricity per year) paying on receipt of bill. We have reduced this figure for the purposes of a conservative estimate. 4.Excludes the cost of the system, which can vary enromously. Assumes annual RPI of 3% , 0.5% degradation of the panels and 2.5% increase in electricity prices. Savings exclude any annual operating and maintenance/insurance costs and any parts replacement costs (inverters have a life of approximately 10 years).

Oscar from Isle of Wight‘You don’t get many opportunities like this, and I hope lots more people take it up. Happily, on the evidence of Perowne Way, it looks like lots are. We’ve now got so many solar panels on the street we’ve taken to calling it ‘Solar Valley.’

Part of HomeSun’s Free Solar panel scheme in 2011

SOLAR PANEL SAVINGS AND EARNINGS (21p/kWh)

Typical medium user of 3300kWh per year, generating 900kWh per kW. 12 panel 2.94 kW 16 panel 3.92 kW

Electricity Bill SavingsAssumes charges of 14p/kWh and 50% of generated solar power is used in the home.3

£182 £246

Generation TariffTotal solar power produced with generation tariff of 21p/kWh.

£548 £740

Export TariffAssumes 50% of solar generated exported to the grid at 3.1p/kWh.

£40 £54

Total in Year 1 £770 £1040

Total over 25 yearsPotential total savings and earnings4

£26,549 £35,873

5 reasons why NOW is a good time to buy solar:1 Secure investmentA secure alternative to some poor performing savings and investments, acting like a 25 year investment bond, linked to RPI, producing tax free income and guaranteed to go up.

2 Guaranteed income Home solar installed before 1st July (with EPC rating of at least Level D) will receive 21p/kWh generated, whether you use it or not. You also get 3.1p/kWh for any electricity you don’t use that’s fed into the national grid.

3 Reduced energy bills You can use as much of your free electricity from the sun as you like, which could save you a third on your electricity bill. This gives you a bit of energy independence and protection from price rises.

4 Increased sale value It could improve the value of your home, with the benefit of a tax free income and free electricity being passed on to the next owner.

5 The subsidy is being cutThe are reductions to the subsi dy expected on April 1st and July 1st 2012.

“Michael Fish and John Kettley, two of Britain’s top TV weatherman, have forecast that solar energy is the future.” John Kettley and Michael Fish

in The Express

“Eco-friendly homes make a positive difference to the environment, and they also lead to cost-saving that could increase the value of your house in the long term.”Nigel Lewis, FindaProperty.

If you want to make the most of solar subsidies.....NOW is the time.The Feed-in Tariff subsidy was launched in April 2010. It’s been hugely successful. Hundreds of thousands of people who acted quickly have got solar with a big financial incentive. But what that also means is that the subsidy ‘pot’ is running low. So the government is introducing a set of staged cuts/new eligibility criteria to the subsidy – one on April 1st, and one on July 1st (see table of expected changes below). The one on July 1st is only a proposal at the moment, but there’s every chance it will become a reality and it will be followed by ever more regular cuts.

EXPECTED CHANGES TO THE FEED-IN TARIFF SUBSIDY (FITs)

Dates of changes* Until 31/03/12 01/04/12 - 30/06/12 01/07/12 - 01/09/12Proposal

Requirement for EPC Level D No Yes Yes

Generation Tariff 21p/kWh 21p/kWh8.7p/kWh

If less than EPC Level D

13.6p/kWh - 16.5p/kWhDepending on how much money left in ‘subsidy pot’.

Proposal to continually cut tariff every 6 months.

Export Tariff 3.1p/kWh 3.1p/kWh 3.1p/kWhExpected to change

Term 25 Years 25 Years 20 YearsProposal

Increases Rises with RPI and Tax Free

Rises with RPI and Tax Free

Proposals to change the RPI and Tax Free linked system

How a solar PV system worksWith solar PV (photovoltaic) you’re harnessing the power of the sun and converting it into electricity for use around your home and exporting some back to the national grid. You’ll be using solar energy ‘live’ during daylight hours and automatically. You don’t need to do anything to start your solar energy flowing through your house as your electrical items will naturally use solar first and ‘top up’ with energy imported from the grid. The more solar you produce, the less you import, and the less your electricity bill will cost you! Under the Feed-in Tariff scheme, you’ll have an extra meter fitted which measures the amount of electricity your solar panels are generating. You’re paid for every single unit you generate (currently 21p/kWh), regardless of what you use. All you’ll need to do is provide your energy supplier with quarterly ‘generation’ meter readings to receive your Feed-In Tariff. The scheme also estimates you’ll export 50% of your total generation to the grid, which you’ll get paid for (currently 3.1p/kWh). When smart meters are fully introduced, the estimation will be replaced by ‘export’ meter readings

Are solar PV panels suitable for your home?The solar panels five-point check-list will help you find out if solar PV panels are suitable for your home. If you can say yes to all of these points, then your home may be just right:• Your home already has a metered electricity supply• You own the freehold to your property (or have the freeholders agreement)• Your property is not a basement or mid-floor flat• Your property is not a listed building and it isn’t in a conservation area• You have an unshaded roof space facing between east and west through south

What is the process for getting solar installed?

1. Register with HomeSunAs soon as you make contact with us, we assess your roof using online tools like Google Earth. We’ll give you a call to talk you through what we’ve found and let you know which kind of solar system that might work for you.

2. Free onsite Solar Survey and free Energy Asssessment (EPC)If you’d like to progress your solar installation, one of our Solar & Energy Assessment Surveyors will visit your home, and carry out a free Solar Survey and home Energy Assessment for you. This will take about an hour, checking the size of your roof, it’s orientation, any shading and its structure to ensure any installation meets Building Regulation Requirements. We’ll also take all the details necessary for an Energy Performance Certificate. This will take about 30 minutes, but you’ll find it really useful.

3. You’ll have a quote within daysOne of our Solar Specialists will contact you with your solar quote – the type of system we’d envisage for you, costs and estimated savings (using government’s Standard Assessment Procedure - SAP). There are options on type of PV cells, size, make and the way panels are mounted, and you have choices on the type of in-home meter you’d like, extended warranties etc. It’s your system, your home, and we want to give you something you’ll enjoy for years to come. We’ll also give you a list of other energy savings measures you might consider based on our Energy Assessment of your home. Many of these are often easy DIY solutions that could cut your bills. For example, additional loft and cavity wall insulation. From April 1st, you’ll only get the full Feed-in Tariff if your home meets EPC level D.

4. We install your PV systemOnce we’ve taken your deposit and done the paperwork, one of our MCS accredited (Microgeneration Certified System) installation teams will install and commission your system. This normally takes a day - depending on, for example, the way your roof is constructed or interruptions due to bad weather. Most of the work is done outside the property, but we do need someone to be at home so we can fit the inverter in your loft and connect your new solar meter.

And that’s it. You’ll then start receiving free electricity from the sun.

Warrantees, guarantees, and maintenance.We know you want complete peace of mind with your solar system. So there are four key elements to the warranties offered to HomeSun customers by any installer that is part of our network. Please see seperate product sheets for more details on product guarantees.

HS Enquiry to Install

Register with us Free Onsite Solar& Energy Assessment

InstallationProposal

WARRANTYGUARANTEES AND WARRANTiES1. Our inverters come with a 5 year guarantee (additional years are optional, but they generally last 10 years and costs are coming down).

✓2. Our workmanship is guaranteed as standard for 2 years, plus you have a 10 year insurance backed warranty from the Consumer Protection Association. In the unlikely event of you having a problem and us not being around, the CPA will find you an accredited installer to sort out an problems free of charge.

✓

3. Solar panels standardly have a manufacturer’s 25 year performance related warranty.

✓4. Your work is done by MCS and REAL certified teams, with MCS equipment where applicable.

✓ Visit homesun.com or call 0844 824 0000

HomeSun – your energy partnerMany of us spend a large proportion of our income on energy bills. At HomeSun, we don’t think it should be like that, or that people should be so exposed to the ups and downs of the energy price market. Home solar is one way of breaking the grip of large energy suppliers on customers and giving homeowners some control over their energy costs. And to do just that, over the last 18 months, more than 7,000 homeowners across the country have chosen HomeSun for their solar system.

Our systems are installed and maintained by teams of carefully selected ‘local partners’. These teams are all MCS accredited, employing local specialists. So you don’t have to shop around, we use our experience of the installer market and our detailed knowledge of customers needs to do the hard work of vetting and selecting the most suitable installer for you.

Naturally, we insist that all our partners provide price, performance and peace of mind with excellend service. Because that’s how it should be. Turning on to free power from the sun is a fantastic move, and your journey should be just as enjoyable as the end result.

Why HomeSun Experienced teamThe delivery of solar to homes has changed dramatically over the last two years, and HomeSun has led the way. Our entire operation has been developed by a team who are committed to customer service and ‘low carbon’ living. You’ll only deal with professionally trained sales people, surveyors and MCS accredited installers – so you can trust us to do the job properly.

FlexibilityWe have a range of offers to suit as many people as possible, and there are options even within those. We work with a range of Preferred Partners, chosen for the quality and suitability of energy saving products and services that our customers need. We’re here to help you achieve your energy and money saving goals, whatever it takes.

EaseOne call or click on the website and we’ll take care of everything – from an initial assessment of your roof by our Technical Team through to Solar Specialists who manage your survey and installation process, to our Customer Services team that helps handle any paperwork. We are here to make things easy. Local and nationalNo-one wants to wait months for an appointment, so we’ll make sure you don’t. One of our nationwide team of Solar Specialists will be local to you and be able to talk you through everything. And our network of Preferred Partners means we’ll only ever have the best installers in the country providing you with the quality, breadth and depth of service we constantly expect - and you’ll constantly demand. Guarantees and repairsOur solar installations come with warranties and guarantees to give you peace of mind.

Tom from Torquay‘In these times of economic hardships and rising fuel prices, this is the most sensible way to protect yourself against rising costs.’

David from Totnes ‘I was always going to purchase a system whilst I had the capital available. It seemed that this would provide the best and most reliable return on my capital. Now with the Feed in Tariffs it certainly made my interest in solar PV economically viable.’

Visit homesun.com or call 0844 824 0000