New deal cuts costs for BSOLAR

NORTH West solar energy firm BSOLAR has signed a new manufacturing deal with a Chinese supplier which it says will cut prices for consumers.

BSOLAR, based in Halsall near Bolton, has joined forces with the company, which it says is one of the largest and longest established manufacturers in China.

Director Peter Bladen would not disclose the name of the company fearing competitors will use the same source.

He said the new arrangement has enabled BSOLAR to cut around £1,000, or 10% off the price of a typical installation.

BSOLAR has seen an increase in demand due to the Government’s Feed in Tariff (FIT) scheme which guarantees homeowners with solar panels an income for electricity they generate.

Mr Bladen said: “The FIT scheme has led to an explosion in demand for solar panels. This scheme guarantees homeowners 41.3p per kWh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity they generate from renewable sources, which is about four times the market cost of electricity and means homeowners are getting a guaranteed income every year from the solar panels. 

“The income is also on energy generated, irrelevant of its use in the home. This means that the homeowner will also get free electricity during the day when the solar panels are generating power.”

He added: “Because of the high demand we are now buying solar panels in huge volumes from the manufacturers and this has given us the ability to negotiate with the some of the key Chinese suppliers direct instead of going through middle men.”