Under the agreement, British Gas will now be able to offer Panasonic Group's HIT Solar PV Panels to its customers. The Panasonic panels are some of the most efficient in the market and are smaller compared to standard panels. With higher
output per square meter, the Panasonic panels will make solar PV a more viable option for smaller homes with less roof space to generate their own electricity from solar power.
By being more efficient, the Panasonic panels will also make smaller homes suitable for the British Gas "roof lease" scheme. Under the scheme, British Gas installs solar panels at no upfront cost, or on a dramatically reduced rate for private and social housing customers. Householders benefit from the free electricity from the solar panels with British Gas claiming the feed-in tariff – a scheme that pays owners of solar panels for the ‘renewable' electricity they generate.
Households who own their own panels can be better off by around GBP 600 a year through a combination of cutting their electricity bills and earning money through the tariff. Those with bigger systems could benefit by up to GBP 1,000.
Jon Kimber, Managing Director of British Gas New Energy, said: "Solar power is revolutionising the way British homes generate and use energy. This deal means that solar panels will become more viable for smaller homes so that more people will be able to reap the benefits of this technology. From today more people will be able to cut their electricity bills, reduce their carbon footprint and earn a yearly income."
Keith Evans, Managing Director of Panasonic UK Ltd, added:"Panasonic and British Gas have been working in close partnership for over 16 years mainly for the supply of communication devices such as our Toughbook laptops. This new agreement around photovoltaic modules is both an exciting and important strategic step forward as both companies build on their future environmental strategies and Eco commitments. Panasonic Corporation is developing new technology products for eco energy systems and aims to become a World class leader in this field by the company's centenary in 2018."
