Solar Panel technology has in general always received favourable coverage in the media, and why not? Long-term savings, a cleaner environment and government help schemes are just a few of the benefits to both homeowners and the environment they live in. As a result, the solar panel craze is gathering up pace with more homeowners seeking to invest in the technology and reap the well documented benefits of such eco-friendly technology.

One factor that may have enhanced the recent surge in solar panel technology is the announcement of government schemes, such as feed in tariffs and the renewable heat incentive, both of which have been designed to enhance the rewards that come with implementing renewable energy solutions, as well as improving the energy efficiency rating of our households and the eco-friendliness of our environment.

The DECC announced that to date 11,314 brits have looked favourably upon both the scheme and the technology, and opted to install solar panels.

Under the Feed In tariff scheme, homeowners can earn extra money by exporting their unused electricity back to the grid, so that the customer saves money, and the electrical provider reduces waste. The scheme can save you hundreds of pounds on top of the savings you would be making anyway through the use of solar panels.

Another contributing factor to the success is the increase in consumer awareness, with more efforts being put in place to make all consumers aware of sustainable building solutions available to them, like the new Jewson TV advert bring shown this month on SKY, which shows the new Saint-Gobain solar PV panels and other renewable technologies. On top of that there’s an increase in the awareness of government schemes and money saving alternative technologies.

The reason behind the push for increased environmental awareness comes down to the government’s target to reduce UK CO2 emissions by 34 per cent of 1990 levels by 2020. The government believe they are well on their way to achieving this target, with a 21% reduction already achieved by the UK, which is equal to a stopping all emissions from four cities the size of London.

The support and adoption of these government schemes will only enhance these efforts, with more plans for sustainable grants surely in the pipeline for the future. The success of the feed in tariff has meant that the government are also introducing a new renewable heat incentive, which is aimed at reducing our dependence on fossil fuel heating systems and instead investing in renewable heating technology.

One company that has benefitted from the increase in demand of sustainable building products is Jewson. Their Market Director of sustainability, Malcolm Gough stated "we have definitely noticed a growing trend and popularity towards solar panels, with many consumers looking to embrace the technology. This has had a great affect on the business, and the introduction of our Saint-Gobain PV panels and the opening of Greenworks training academy, who provide MCS training to our customers. This adds to Jewsons market leading strength as being the one stop shop for renewable energy sources."