Since the launch of the Feed in Tariff in 2010, the number of solar panels on the roofs of houses has risen dramatically. Large-scale solar farms have also become more popular as the multiple benefits of solar become more widely known.
When installing a domestic solar array, it is recommended that in order to optimise the amount of sunlight absorbed by the panels, they should face South West.
Coincidentally the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) recently released figures on the areas of the UK with the highest concentration of solar panels and the South West of England has come out on top.
The South West, specifically North Somerset, boasts one of the largest collections of domestic solar panels in the UK. The statistics from the DECC show the district has the third most solar panel installations of all UK local authority areas, beaten to the top spots only by communities in Devon and Wales.
Four per cent of homes in the region (3,542 out of 88,273) are fitted with solar panels.
A spokesperson from energy efficiency specialists, The Eco Experts, said: "It is fantastic that North Somerset is taking advantage of the free energy you can generate from solar panels. They are really leading the way and doing everything they can to stop using these planet-destroying fossil fuels. On top of this they are also making money thanks to the Feed in Tariff."
Recent figures released by the Energy Savings Trust highlighted the fact that the average household can save £635 a year by installing solar panels through money saved on electricity bills and cash earned via the Feed in Tariff. This means that collectively, North Somerset is saving £2,249,170 per annum.
"North Somerset and other southerly parts of the UK have the ideal conditions for solar panels and we have noticed a lot of farmers are using their land for solar farms. As energy bills look set to increase and increase, these savvy homeowners are doing all they can to avoid these huge costs," added The Eco Experts' representative.