A new project aiming to build a smarter, fairer energy system on the Isle of Wight is asking local residents to share their views through an online survey.
The Social Virtual Power Plant (SVPP) is a pioneering initiative that will link together solar panels, battery storage, and smart energy technologies in people’s homes to create a ‘virtual power plant’. This will help ease demand on the national grid, cut carbon emissions, and save households money.
What sets the SVPP apart is its focus on fairness and inclusion. The project is designed to ensure that everyone can benefit from the energy transition – not just those already using green technology. Residents do not need to have solar panels to take part in the consultation.
The survey aims to gather insight into how people currently use energy, what barriers exist to accessing smart technologies, and what support households might need to join the project.
The feedback will directly shape how the SVPP is developed and delivered on the Isle of Wight.
The project is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero through the South West Net Zero Hub. It is being delivered locally by Green Isle of Wight CIC and partner organisations.
To take part in the survey, visit www.bit.ly/SVPP-IOW.
After reading the recent article about a solar panel
catching fire in Bembridge, it’s a no from me.
I am happy driving my old electric vehicle made by Nissan
who were one of the first to build such vehicles.
Give me a new Leaf anyday, but no to Solar panels.
Utterly useless… nothing but a plug for some unknown energy advice company. Firstly, when you go to the site and click on ‘sign up’ , nothing happens. Similarly, click ‘log on’ and nothing happens. If they can’t get that right, what chance do you have of them giving good energy advice?
My expert advice…. want to save energy? Get solar panels and a battery and save £££. My last year savings were over £1500. Then switch to a company that supports your system – Octopus Energy for example.Switch to a ‘gas tracker’ and get your gas for ~5p/kWh compared to SVT of around 7p ( which will go down on 1st July.
I agree that it makes sense to install solar panels and a battery for most people. The difficulty arises if you are older. You have to defray the installation cost over a number of years so you won’t actually see a net saving for some years. For me that means that I would be lucky to see it break even in my lifetime so there is no real incentive to borrow the money to fund the installation cost and have the upheaval of installation etc. In reality, for ecological and economic reasons it would make sense for government to make grants available in the same way they used to do for home insulation. Everyone would gain and relatively quickly our consumption of non-renewables would massively reduce. I suspect that the pressure from the fuel companies plays a part in preventing such a scheme getting off the ground.
Force developers to install solar panels on all new houses they build on the Island at their expense, the new buyer to get the benefit.
I think that is going to be a new bill by the Govt. I just hope the bill states some sort of minimum…4kWp panels and 9.5 kWh battery. A couple of panels and no battery would be utterly pointless…
I thought all new builds had to have these installed.
By and large the County Council will require a new build to have solar panels and a heat pump if they are feasible. Whilst developers ma not charge for these specifically, they will be built into the cost of the property.
That does make sense.
I am forever reading and hearing bad things about
heat pumps though.