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Comments
A lot of commercial buildings are on a long term lease (why our high streets are dying) and the landlords have no interest in adding value.
There are new rules about commercial roof top installations now being covered by permitted development, not sure what real difference it will make though as for every rule we have that says you must do something, there is another one that says you can't.
It would also be hard to try and convince companies that are currently making losses to invest large amounts on PV while they are trying to restructure their core business. i.e. Morrisons, Tesco.
Maybe the best place to get PV fitted on large roofs is on the public service buildings i.e schools, universities, police, fire and ambulance stations, libraries, council buildings (down here they have tried, but hampered with old buildings).
The real simple way to do it though is to tax energy more, higher prices tend to focus the mind.
http://edavies.me.uk/2011/05/elec-island/
Maybe mucking around with this sort of thing is part of why Tesco, etc, are losing out to Lidl, etc. Never seen any “green” on Lidl but I'm sure they would if it made financial sense so, yes: Specifically, fossil carbon sourced energy, of course. Mucking about with the planning rules is doing it all back to front.
Still, if a solar farm on agricultural land makes sense why's whoever's financing it (the farmer or somebody else) not talking to the owners of the warehouses?
Stuart posted this up several years ago
http://www.greenbuildingforum.co.uk/newforum/comments.php?DiscussionID=2523 Mainly, but raising the overall price would force consumers to use less, then less new generation capacity is needed, which should reduce the investment costs. I think they are but just hitting brick walls at every stage. Usually mealy mouthed accountants, who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
Not sure how much a warehouse costs to build/rent, but if the cost of putting PV on becomes a significant fraction of that, then it is not going to happen.
Also, many warehouses have very low energy usage, so little benefit for the tenant.
If you have a warehouse covered in PV full of valuable goods that catches fire, are the firefighters going to save the warehouse or stand back?
Here in France the fire fighters will let them burn down out of fear of electrocution and let insurers pick up the bill.
Would be fun to be a meeting, between the local planning office and the local DNO, if planning insists that there must be a new power cable run to a main sub station to take power away from the new development.