How to Teach your Kids About Renewable Energy

solar pv

It may be the parents who make the financial savings by switching to renewable energy, but it’s our kids who will be the real winners if we are able to prevent climate change and demonstrate a sustainable way of living.

It’s important that we teach our children about renewable energy, from solar panels to ground source heat pumps, and it is never too early to start. Here are some free resources to get your children into sustainability!

1. Touchstone Energy, “Kid’s Energy Zone”

An extensive and fun resource that covers almost every aspect of the climate change debate, with particular focus on the need to reduce our reliance on conventional energy supplies. This website comes is full of games and contains enough worksheets to keep the little ones busy for an hour or two.

This resource is great for young learners.

2. How Stuff Work, “Resource for Teachers”

Another site listing a bunch of excellent resources for teachers, this site is generally geared towards U.S. audiences, but the renewable energy is message is the same internationally! They also have a number of their own articles on green issues, such as this cool piece on the immediate impact of renewable energy.

The How Stuff Works website has resources for learners of all ages.

3. BBC, “GCSE Bitesize”

There’s no excuse for not doing your revision, thanks to this free website from the BBC. An invaluable resource for children taking their Geography GCSE, Bitesize explains the differences between non-renewable fossil fuels, and types of renewable energy, such as solar heating and solar hot water systems.

This is a resource aimed at students studying GCSE level Geography.

4. Prince’s Rainforest Project, “I am Tomorrow”

This colourful resource from the Prince of Wales tackles not only deforestation of the rainforest, but also highlights the importance of solar power for schools, exploring the necessity of solar heating systems and solar thermal panels on our public buildings.

This resource is aimed at Secondary School students, but there is something for everyone on the site.

5. British Council, “Green is Great”

These comprehensive worksheets encourage discussions about sustainability and alternatives to fossil-fuels. They outline various steps Britain could take to significantly lower its carbon emissions by 2050, and allow students to see the pros and cons of different energy sources, including solar hot water and wind turbines.

The website is designed for upper-intermediate English language learners, but the discussion is relevant to everyone.

Whether you are a parent, teacher, or even a student, do you know about any cool resources for learning about renewable energy that we missed?

Solar panels being fitted to church roof

How Much Can You Save with Renewable Energy?

We all know that renewable energy is good for the environment, but did you know that it can be good for your wallet too? Not only will you save on energy bills, but a range of incentives means that homeowners are paid by the government for renewable energy produced on their property or for investing in renewable energy heating systems. Want to find out how much you can earn? Read our blog to find out more.

1. Generation Tariff

A supplier will pay you for electricity generated by solar panels on your home – even if you choose to use all of it yourself! The going rate for approved solar panels, and at Complete Renewables we are always happy to check eligibility, is 14.9p per kilowatt-hour, which averages out to £540 per year on a typical system, according to Money Saving Expert. Nice!

2. Export Tariff

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, there’s a bonus 4.6p for every kilowatt-hour that you don’t use – or ‘export’ back into the grid. Under the current system, most energy suppliers don’t bother to fit you with an export/import meter to calculate exactly how much you export back into the grid. Instead they assume that you export 50% of the energy your solar panels produce – meaning additional bonus savings of £90 per year on average, even if you use all the energy for yourself.

3. Energy Bills

It’s no secret that energy bills are predicted to rise massively over the next twenty years, as we continue to rely on ever-dwindling stocks of fossil fuels. However, this means that for those who invest in solar panels, savings will rise massively too! The Energy Saving Trust estimates that the current rate of saving for a typical family is £125 per year – good now, and it’s only going to get better.

4. Complete Renewables’s Summer Sale!

We are currently offering PV Solar Panels for under £6,000 to some customers in our summer sale, meaning that now is a great time to invest in solar panels. Our typical 4 Kilowatt system will earn you a profit of £1,600 in your first ten years, and an incredible £7,600 in the second ten years! This represents a healthy 14% investment, which is good for both the planet and for your finances.

5. Renewable Heat Incentive

The savings and incentives don’t end with solar panels. The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is the world’s first long-term financial support programme for renewable heat. The government will pay you between £600 and a massive £2,300 to invest in a renewable heat source, including solar heating system and ground source pumps.

Solar thermal heating nets you £600 with the RHI, in addition to providing a family of four with up to 65% of their hot water needs, according to STA. If

you are a household of two, no need to panic, we can fit you with just one solar thermal panel, which provides you with free solar heated water for 70% of your hot water needs.

Interested in Saving Money and the Planet Yet?

How often do you get a chance to both make money and help the planet both at the same time? Renewable energy is a win-win move, so contact Complete Renewables today and see how much you could save!