WHAT does the roof of your home, your garage or even your business do? Does it just sit there keeping the rain out of your bedrooms?

Traditional thatch, slate or tile; flat roofs covered with bitumen and conservatories roofed with plastic could be generating electricity to help with lighting and heating.

This is where Marlborough-based Apollo Renewables can help.

This business, run by partners Paul Reed and Sandy Tickner, specialises in making roofs, or the cladding of buildings, useful by making them create electricity. "We can work with domestic homeowners, schools, charities and corporate clients," Ms Tickner said.

Their systems work on the principle that energy from the sun can be converted via photovoltaic cells, into electricity. Mr Reed said the energy from the cells, generated in DC electrical power, is converted into grid quality AC electricity through a device known as an inverter.

"A photovoltaic system will generate electricity from diffuse light as well as direct sunlight, meaning the system works even on cloudy days," said Mr Reed. "With a grid connected system, the solar PV energy works in parallel with the mains power supply."

For the average house a basic solar PV system would cost about £8,000 which would, at current energy prices, take about 30 years to recoup.

Ms Tickner said: "Your have of course to look at the way energy prices are rising and you can see that the cost will be recovered much quicker.'' More information at www.apollorenewables.co.uk.

10:09am Friday 11th April 2008

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