Rise in solar panel sales as people 'want to save money'

An important development from the financial markets: Rise in solar panel sales as people 'want to save money'3 days ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleDave HarveyWest of England business and environment correspondentBBCBen Harrison's solar firm said sales has risen by 65% since the Iran conflict began" all about saving money now, not just sustainability. "Those are the words of the founder of a solar power firm who sums up the shift in the industry neatly. Ben Harrison's Gloucestershire company has installed 65% more solar panels for businesses since the Iran war started, and energy bills soared.

Across the UK, the total amount of solar power installed has risen 11% compared to last year, according to government figures. For companies, the maths is simple. In Somerset, the makers of the 'Henry' vacuum cleaner have just spent £1.

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5m on new solar panels at their Chard factory. The financial director tells me he will get his money back "in less than four years". SunGift SolarOn a sunny day, this field of solar panels will power the whole factory behind it making vacuum cleaners in Chard, SomersetFly low over a typical industrial estate and you'll see plenty of solar panels on factory rooftops.

But at the huge Numatic plant in Chard, they have gone to a new level. They have just filled a whole field behind the factory. There are 1,200 people working here, making Henry, the famous little red vacuum cleaner, and his pink friend Henrietta.

They make everything except the motors on site, from scratch. Moulding their own plastic and automated robotic production sucks power like, well a vacuum cleaner. "Electricity is hugely expensive," says Steve Whitlock, the firm's financial director.

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He is proudly showing me the brand new field of solar panels, 2,672 in all. Until recently, it would be sustainability managers promoting this kind of work. But today, a solar installation costing £1.

5m is "a major investment, like any other", according to Whitlock. More from Somerset'I hope others take up dying art of bell-ringing'Meet the animal stars who made it to the big screenCouple quit jobs to start two-year cycle adventure"We need electricity to manufacture our products, and with the price going up and up, this solar field has given us a step change to generate our own electricity, and not rely on the market," he added. On sunny days, the new system will power the whole plant.

Across the year, they project it will average about a quarter. But further investments in high-tech inverters and batteries will take them to about half their total energy needs. Within four years, Whitlock calculates the solar system will have paid for itself.

Financial markets are tracking the development closely as investors assess the likely impact.