Welcome again to another interesting post? Well, I hope so.
PV what is it?
Well, you have probably seen a few street signs on the UK road with either a small wind turbine and a flat panel normally facing South in direction. These are a smaller version of the Domestic installations that allow the street sign to work without the requirement of electrical cabling having to deliver electricity to the sign.
PV panels allow daylight to be converted into Electricity. The physical process of how it happens is not really the topic for this post. So, here is the link to Wikipedia for those that wish to understand the actual process of how it actually happens.
Yes, you did read correctly. PV panels produce electricity when it rains, snows and an overcast day. Yes, it doesn’t set the world on fire with the amounts. But, it is enough to generally cover the tick over of the home during the day time.
The UK, the Government is providing a fixed tariff for those owners occupiers that wish to generate their own electricity using the everyday daylight. It has to be installed by an MCS installer. They will pay £0.41 p per unit of electricity generated to a 4 kW system. So, our system can produce 2.4 units per hour on a good day.
So, if we have a very dry hot summer and produce more units than expected (1,900 for us) you still will get paid. Also, the HM Government estimations tend to be on the low side as they take the whole of the UK rather than regions. Most PV installations are seeing anything from 15-35% more units than expected. However, as there is no cap to the 0.41p units, all the units produced are paid for. The Generation Meter keeps track of the number of units achieved. Larger systems are allowable but they have a lower tariff.
You also get to use this energy that you have been paid 0.41 pence to power the household. So, you in effect save another 12.5p as you don’t have to pay for the electricity board to provide the power.
So, typically we use around 300 watts when we are not cooking or mowing the lawn. On a cloudy day, the PV produced around 225Watts. So, we only pay for the additional 75w coming from the electricity board. When we have a brighter day this turns into 1,000-1750w (1-1.75Kw), on a nice sunny day this wander up to 2Kw. We are then in effect pushing the additional amount power back on to the Grid for another household to use. So, by now, some of you would have spotted that it make more commercial sense to turn on Washing Machines, Dishwashers during the day. Even part cooking the evening meal to warm up later on!
For those that wish to find out how much electricity they are using. May wish to look at our post on Linking GOOGLE Power Meter with monitoring devices here.
The good news is that under the scheme they assume that 50% (1,900 units) is put back onto the grid again. It is worked out on the basis that we have normal weather conditions. As everyone in the UK is aware. This hasn’t happened this year with the SNOW and Rain. However, 50% of this expected number of units is again paid for. £0.03p x 950 in our case. So, it will not pay for too many shoes. However, is very generous. So, don’t put in an export meter!
If you have a system more than 4kW, then you have to have an export meter fitted. Well, you are now talking in Corporate range!
So, what does that mean?
Ok, if you went out to the kitchen and boiled a kettle of water. You would be using about 3kW of electricity. Now, if you kept it going for an hour, which obviously you don’t, then you would have used 3 units of electricity. 3 x 0.12p = £0.36.
So, as you can see to cover the whole electrical needs of the house would require a large array. So, how do you size a PV installation? Well, there are a couple of ways of thinking about this.
First, how large is the space that you have that is facing in the right direction – South, South West or South East.
Use Google Maps to find your address and then zoom into your street. Google Maps usefully puts the South compass point on the bottom of the browser. If you want to be a little more accurate, you can use this link here to place the Compass Position over the Google Map. With this in place, you have to know where you live! Zoom in using the bar on the left-hand side.
When you have decided on the right part of the roof to place the PV panels. You will then have to take account of ANY shadowing that occurs. Chimney, Trees other roof shadows.
The PV panels are normally daisy-chained together. So, if one panel is in shadow, it affects the total system!
If this happening early in the morning or late at night that is fine. But, if it occurs between 8 am and 6 pm during the day, it will have a significant impact on the production of power.
Like, every appliance in your home. The efficiency of a device to convert the electricity from that form to motion in terms of the Washing machine/Dishwasher/Fridge or pump on the heating system has become a lot better recently. So, if you have a device that is in used a lot and is over 15 years old. It could actually be cost effective to change it, even, if it isn’t broken. As the energy savings alone would justify the purchase. Most now are in the region of 75-95%.
However, the PV panels have a long way to go on this score. Typically, they provide 13-14.5%. This means for every 1,000 W that the sunlight provides. Only 13-14% is converted to electrical energy.
The second option is to cover what it used 24/7. Now, just having an average of 300 watts load on all day. Every day will use 7.2 units in 24 hours. In a year that’s 2,628. The average use in a UK home is 3,600 units a year. So, that 300 watts is going to cost 2,628 * 0.125p = £328.50!
For those of you that use more than 10 units of electricity a day. Then, the size would have to be even larger! Most, houses that I visit use more. :o)
Even, though we have changed all of our lights to using LED lighting, ECO fridge and a V-Phase unit in. We are being serious! We still tick over between 8-10 units a day. Although, I do work from home. I’ll have to put my Laptop on a diet!
So, you would need a Southerly facing space of 26.4Sq Meter. Which, would then contain two strings of 8 x 240w panels to an SMA 4000S inverter provides a generation capacity of 3,992kWhrs a year. Which, would cover the average usage in a home based on Government estimates. Now, remember the comment above?
So, how much is that going to cost? I hear you say. Well assuming that the roof is large enough, then you are currently looking at around £16,000. (2014 now £4 to 5,000) However, the payment rate has changed from 0.41p to 0.13p per unit)
Quotation Process – Remember Double Glazing salesman?
So, how do you go about it and what pitfalls?
Well, we asked over 20 companies to provide a quotation for the Southwesterly roof space that we had. I knew, most of what was involved, as we had installed large systems before.
However, there was a great debate, on, if the roof was facing the right way. Why were we not using the Southerly facing roof? etc.
The main reason we were not using the southern facing roof was to shadow issues. Where the Southwesterly did have any shadow issues. However, this does have a knock-on effect, the Sunlight would not hit the roof to produce full power until 10 am. Using my local weather knowledge. Most of the time the skies are cloudy occurs in the early morning. So, we generally get better afternoons than mornings here. However, the panel starts producing energy at 8 am in the morning. Ok, it doesn’t go up to 2kW until later morning, but, then, the sunlight is stronger anyway.
So, using your local knowledge will become invaluable. However, each site will be different! There are options to split the panels between each roof plane. Most Inverters allow this to happen. However, this tends not to be economic. Very large systems may have an edge to do this. But small sized, I don’t think stack up in my view.
So, you don’t have large enough roof space or it’s facing the wrong direction? Not all is lost. You could, if, you have a large enough garden or backyard position the PV systems on the floor or on a gallery system. The gallery systems come in a couple of flavors. Single axis and Dual axis. These can track the sun during the day. So, you tend to increase the number of units generated by 30-45%.
This is a small one. However, the normal size version will allow 10-16 panels. That’s 2.4 to 3.84 kW systems using 240W Panels.
But the tracker themselves cost £3,500-4,500. But, then you don’t have anyone on your roof and you will probably produce 30-45% more power. Swings and roundabout come to mind.
Also, you don’t have to get for the 4kW systems. Typically, most installs are 2,2.4, 3.6 or 4kW in size.
So, out of these 20 companies.
We had firms that turned up looked at the roof and-and gave a price without actually measuring the roof! We had those that wanted to price the system by capacity, again stating that the installers would size the system on the survey. So, what are you doing here?
We had those that provide the best deal in terms of cost but were a little light in the way that the system was to be installed. Until I mentioned that they would need scaffolding. This tended to be added on to the price, rather than be there in the first place.
We had some that used actual roofers to install the frames onto the roof then a PV team to install. Which, always leaves me with who do I complain to if the roof leaks afterward? I can see a case of ping pong between suppliers.
OK, So how do you tell?
This is what I did.
Looked up Companies House to see when the company came into existence.
Looked up the Domain Name Registration to find out when that was registered.
What was the Payment schedule? The deposit was for some 50%, others 75%. The one I choose was 15% up front, which was insurance backed.
Were they registered on the MCS scheme? Silly, but if they are not then the electricity board will tell you to go away!
Did they have reference sites? Call them!
The one I picked had a 15% Deposit, 50% on installation and the 35% balance once the paperwork had been sent.
In the end, it was down to three suppliers. I eventually choose Konnect Services who were already an electrical contractor in their own right and they had been installing PV systems for 4 years. This and the payment terms generally shows the companies that are set up and funded correctly. They provide 3 options to choose from and provided the costs for all and relative outputs. They showed their experience with me asking a few technical questions that were answered perfectly. As, I was talking to James, the man who was going to install the system!
Second were Solar Advance Systems contact John Dense who gave a 2.1kW system rather than a 2.4kW. They did provide an Insurance backed Guarantee. The third was John Sandison from 1stSolarPV Ltd and again they provided a 2.1kW system with a higher price. I have no hesitation to recommend all 3 for a quotation. As they all knew what they were doing. So, if you do call them, let them know it was me that put them in the frame!
So, here are some pictures over the three days they installed the system. To their credit, they turned up on 23rd December and as you can see it had snowed a little!
This is when the scaffold went up and was the Friday before they started.
As you can see. There was plenty of sunshine on that day. But, your tea was ice cold in minutes!
This is our crew setting out the rails to which the PV panels are later attached to. As you can see, they had a few environmental issues to resolve. i.e Sweeping the snow off the roof!
All credit to the crew. They, took off their boots when they had to go up into the roof space and left the place tidy each evening.
All I had to do was to make tea. But, I couldn’t help getting involved when we had to run the 240 AC cabling down from the roof via the bathroom into the kitchen then into the meter cupboard space. But, that was totally my choice!
The Sparky and I had great fun running the cable down the non-existent trunking! I could have sworn I put in trunking?
However, we found a suitable route eventually! After that. It was pretty straight forward.
This is the view when all of the panels had been fitted and they switch to working inside on the actual inverter and wiring.
This is the SMA SB-2500HF-30 Inverter. This is the newer type without the heavy transformer. It also has BlueTooth embedded transmitter. So, you can monitor its performance during daylight hours. Using the SMA Sunny Explore software. (You select software tab, then should see listing including Sunny Explorer. Then select PC software). You need to have Bluetooth enabled PC/Laptop. But you can buy one of these from here.
You can also find “Sunny Designer”. Which, then allows you to design your own PV system from scratch.
The PV panels are linked in a daisy chain fashion, which, then via the white box in the picture is fed to the Inverter in DC form and this is output to the Yellow box in AC form which is used by the household.
This picture shows where that cable turns up. The cable from the roof goes into the yellow box with the red switch. This is then fed into the Generation Meter. This is what actually counts the number of units generated. This then feeds to the single way Consumer unit and fuse.
The grey cables from there are wired to the electrical Block. Which, is where the normal household supply is taken. By doing it this way you can sidestep updating the rest of the households electrics to the current Regs. As this is considered a separate system. As the consumer unit is separate to the main one.
If, your household electric do comply. Then, the feed would go to the normal consumer unit via a 10 Amp MCB.
We are just below 100 units to now. But, Spring and Summer are the main seasons that PV creates most electricity.
So, Why do it? – Financials.
Well, the £0.41 will be indexed to the RPI. So, with inflation taking off, the rate paid will not be left behind. Also, when you consider that the electricity companies have not been slow in increasing their prices recently, the savings can only grow. Now for most UK citizens, the inflation rate is 4-5% by 2011 and the way things are in the world. We will probably not see the Savings rate increase for a considerable time. As, if it did, the banks, will be back to square one again!
So, the current rate on savings is 1.5% at best before Tax. So, that money that you might have sitting in a savings account is unlikely to see 5% interest for at least 5-10 years! So, this is the reason why I jumped. Obviously, you should ensure that you have enough held me backs. But, if you have money in long term funds. Then, this is probably the best deal in town.
It also, helps that the Taxman is not going to Tax Domestic installations income. (up to 4kW). So, this £1,000 of income. Would have required £1,500 worth of salary.
Well, it’s your call. But, it does seem to be a no-brainer to me.
Well, here is the picture when its all done!
UPDATE:
Number of Units Generated in 2011
1,989 kW
Number of Units Generated in 2012
1,933 kW
The number of units Generated despite all this rain!
2013 – 1,923 kW.
2014 – 2,050 kW.
2015 – 1,998 kW.
2016 – 1,994 kW
This now totals 12.052 MWh over the 2010- 2016. Not bad for our little setup.
Well, if you have any comment then just fill in the box below. Questions? bounce a comment and I will try to answer them.
Well, here I am again, trying to save you some money and the planet at the same time!
Click on the video if you’re not a techie!
Here, goes the techie bit.
In the UK the standard single phase voltage is allowed to be between 207 and 257v AC by the EU regs. Love them :O)
Now, most domestic appliances are designed by the manufacturers to work between these voltages. Be they LCD TV, Computers, Cookers, Fridges or lights.
Before you say well I have low energy lighting, so I need not worry. Even these, will see savings. So, read on!
The Distribution companies for sensible reason supply over and above the standard 220 VAC. This is to ensure that everyone happy. What happens is that the current normally reduces a tad.
But, it is the Wattage that you get charged by the electricity companies. So, this is the thing you should be concentrating on!
VPHASE Unit – Saves 10%-15% on your electricity bills!
What the device does, is to reduce the incoming voltage from the grid, which, can be anything for 257-230V down to 220V precisely. All your current electrical devices in the home will be as happy as Larry to work on this level of voltage.
Now, if our friends at the electricity board have a laps moment and the voltage drops below 220v. Then, the device doesn’t reduce the voltage any further. That would be silly!
However, for those of you that took Physics O, A or Degree level even in the UK. Would have spotted that the reduction of voltage, will drag down the watt proportionately.
By reducing the wattage the household devices take. Will reduce the electricity bill!
Now, don’t get overboard. The savings depend on the current voltage supply that is entering your house. But, you can check this out by buying one of these devices. [amazon-product align=”left”]B000Q7PJGW[/amazon-product]
Which, also come in handy, to find out how much each electrical item is using in the first place! Now, once you have got the voltage reading, then this table provides advice as to if to fit the device;
So, are you in good company? Well, the short answer is yes. Large businesses have been using this technology for years and have saved hundreds of thousands of pounds in the process.
It has taken some time to reach the domestic market, as the cost of fitting the unit, out weight the savings achieved. But, with electrical prices increasing on a yearly basis, it’s time to start seriously considering installing one of these devices!
Even the Electricity suppliers themselves are in agreement. See here That, must have been like pulling teeth for them to agree. After all, they didn’t want you to save money, as it hits their bottom line!
However, this small investment could provide many years of savings! With an average UK Electricity bill using 3,600 kWhrs at 12.5p per unit that’s £45 per year. This year – next it will be more! This also assumes that you use 10 units a day. Now, we use 10-12 units a day and we are completely energy focus! Might be time to work out how many units your typically household use in a day? I think you might find that you use a little more than the average! Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this, would you?
SSE Trials
Working with Scottish and Southern Electric, VPhase devices have been installed in 50 homes with a view to calculating the lifetime CO2 saving potential of the device. The results have again been independently analysed by EA Technology and are demonstrating lifetime savings of around 4 tonnes of CO2. This evidence has been passed to Ofgem for their corroboration so the device can qualify for the CERT scheme and we expect results to be released in Q4 2010.
Once installed, you can also show off to the local neighbours, that you have done your GREEN bit for the environment! By saving 4 tonnes of CO2. You can skip the actual reason why you did it in the first place (save money) unless, like me, you are going to be nice!
The costs of the unit are priced at £250 and you would normally return that investment within 3-5 years. The unit will then continue to save money for another 20 or so years without intervention. Now, seeing that you are earning very little in the bank at present. It’s a bit of a no brainier!
Where Lynda Collier celebrated her 50th Birthday with a multitude of Friends and Family.
Being one of the honored guests that got under the radar! I can confirm that the event held at Eastbury Hotel was a success on all fronts.
I turned up to the Hotel to be met by the Hotel Receptionist, who then carried my Black tie gear up to the Honeysuckle room.
The single bedroomhad all the mod cons you could want such as LCD TV, both Still and sparkling water, Tea, Coffee and Chocolate making stuff and of course biscuits! The room was spotless and was the work of Lucy who left a small card if there was a problem. Needless, to say, I couldn’t find fault to the room, it was both clean and modern and was situated at the front of the hotel. Which, was quite, with little noticable traffic along the road.
Then, after a few drinks at the hotel bar where every one met up. The guests retired to their rooms to get ready for the evening dinner at the close by restraunt.
Andy had organised Taxi fleet to take us to the restraunt as the weather had taken a turn for the worst. But, tyipically it had stopped raining by the time that it time for us to leave. There was the usual discusion of who should go first. Some even decided that the short walk would do them well.
Here’s the rest of us lottering outside the Hotel.
The restraunt had set up a table to the rear of the restruant which keep us out of the way of the other guest and allow us to enjoy the evening. Just over 20 guests were in attendance, with the others due to arrive on the Saturday, as family comments required.
The evening rolled on with everyone finding out how Lynda knew them. There were old work colleagues, Friends of long outstanding and few that were relatively new. I have know Andy for more years than I can possibly comment on here.
Suffice to say, one story, I didn’t tell on the evening. Was the time that he met Lynda. We were due to have a social evening in London at one of the nice restaurants in London. Which, we try and do at least once a year. Although, both of us have fallen behind that schedule. When, he arrived he was like Tigger. He was bouncing up and down to tell me that he had met this wonderful girl in London Bar/Pub that had sweepped him of his feet. I never did find out if it was a Pub or Bar. I though, she must of been nice. As, I knew that the distances he was travelling.
I soon got to meet the young lass (said in jest) and I could see the reason he was taken. Andy over many years, had taken the ruff path of life and I was truly happy to see he had found someone with which he click with. You have to meet Lynda. If you list the words, you would probably not do her justice. Despite her own ills, she is always there for her friends and colleges.
The food and wine was probably one of the best meals that I have had. It was balanced and just the right amount without being stuffed. The wines, no doublt choosen by Andy, were excellent. But, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Andy, as he does know his wine!
Then Andy presented Lynda with her Birthday present. A Handbag! But, as the saying goes. “This, wasn’t just any Handbag”. It had taken Andy and crew, a considerable time to track this illusive designer handbag down. Someone, was very please. In fact, she nearly went into tigger mode!!
Well, we eventually returned from the restaurant later that evening as one of the last groups to leave the restaurant. Some of us, taking the long route back to the Hotel. But, of course I did find a public house, where the locals were more than helpful to point me in the right direction, after, I had a pint of the local brew. Which, was more my wish than their’s.
The Hotel staff kept the bar running in the lounge until the early hours, when even the night owl of us was starting to tire.
As you can see the Handbag was in full view!
The following morning. Or, should I say, later in the day. As most of us hadn’t made our bed till nearly 3am. We were greeted, by the Hotel staff and a large spread of cereal and fruit was laid out on presten white table clothes, that would have catered for anyone that I could think of.
The staff then offered a wide choice of cooked breakfast that included, a full English and for those who like fish.
Kippers or Salmon with scrambled egg on the side. Toast and of course Tea or Coffee were both available. Although, I think you could of asked for nearly anything and they would have tried to provide it.
We, then, decided that we would venture into town and the rest of us energetic type would go on a 4 mile walk. Not surprisingly, the numbers for the walk were low. So, we ended up with Andy and 4 others including myself.
We set out, to find the starting point, which was a railway station. We soon found out, that this was slightly more that a British Rail sign.
So, we drove back to the local village to park. Then, we headed out, following the trail. Which, as you might have expected, took in various land marks and building of historical importance (Don’t mean the Pub!). Of course, we had to stop half way for quick refreshment in the local pub and sample the local ale.
Surprisingly, we only stayed for one drink, before we set out again to complete the trail.
Some interesting terrain we trod. Stopping at the various rivers that normally were streams to admire the workman ship of the various bridges.
Some, that I believe, could do some recalc’s on the weight they can hold. Anyway, bar wandering off the trail for sometime. We had to take a detour. As a farmer had probably been upset by the number of walkers that had cross his field. He had set a electric fence. Well, we didn’t want to upset him any more, so we took what was a slightly longer route and this is where we then came unstuck, as we lost the track. Typically, Richard wait for Andy to be touching the electric fence before reconnecting it to ensure it work. By the way Andy jumped, it seem to do the trick.
Anyway, we walked sort of in the right direction. Once, two of the three people who were using GPS technology, to find out where we were had worked out where we were. Then, things started to become easier. (Unfortunately, I couldn’t help, as, I work on pub locations only!)
A voice called out to Richard, over a hedge. He was leading at the time (Also, as he had been in the RAF. We decided that he would have the best negotiation skills against hostile personel), to ask him if he was lost?
Thankfully, it was the owner of the field we have just walked though, who was some what amuse on how far we had wandered. Only one field out! But, it was rather a large field, never the less.
We return to The Eastbury to get applauded on the distance we had travelled. Richard’s wife had gone on the shopping visit and he was some what concern the time that she had spent on her own with the Credit Card. It’s seemed he was worrying more than he needed.
We all decided that the late night was catching us up and took to having a quick nap before dinner. We were told by Andy to be there sharp at 7.30pm for drinks. I would have been except the Bun on my dinner jack wouldn’t latch. Anyway, fortunately I wasn’t the last!
We then got treated to the photo’s album that highlighted the younger years of Lynda checkered history. Unfortunately, even for the Internet, these can’t be published here. Some of the dress sense was a little supspect and MI5 wouldn’t release the photo’s on decency grounds.
We then were asked to take our places at the table. I was sat between two young ladies Julie and Vicky. A thorn amongst roses, I think.
Where, were wined and dinned. The staff where impecable in service department and the kitchen produce a truely excellent 4 course meal. Then came the speech that Lynda had written. Which, hightlighted where everyone had come from in her life so far.
We were also joined by their friends in USA via Skype. Who couldn’t make the event. However, must have wonder what was going on in the UK that evening.
We were treated by the husband, of a long standing friend. That now just happens to be a Queens Council. To explain, to the rest of the table, how certain incidents had taken place.
The event he had recalled, had taken place near this corner shop call “Harrods”.
As, they had dented the plastic sufficiently, for it to answer no more! They, then had retired to the local wine bar and order a Magname of Champagne. Then, once, realising that they were not going to be able to finish the said bottle. They persuaded the barman using their feminine charms, to find a cork and plastic bag. Except this wasn’t just any plastic bag! It was an M&S Plastic bag.
On returning to the hotel, they endeavoured to keep a straight face walking thorough reception and back to their room. Where, they subsequently past out for the rest of the evening until the early ours of the following day.
Realising that they were thirsty and they still had half a bottle of champagne left. They realise that they couldn’t just ask for a bottle opener without causing suspicion that they were drinking their own drink rather than the hotel’s. So, they attacked the bottle with nail scissors, until they prised the cork from the bottle. Then, completed drinking the champange.
He then stated that a txt had arrived from them summing him for their collection. Due to the on going laughter by the two people involved in this story. I never heard the final comments.
But, as you can see they are as thick as thieves in this shot.
The Second memorable speech was that of her longest friends who she met at school. Barbara. Where she explain the first time that she had met Lynda at around five. She had strewn herself across the door to stop Lynda from going home. Other, highlights were the imaginary Dolls and their imaginary children which they would talk to and about. The sharing of a packet of 10 cigarettes and how Barbara had to smoke the additional 3 as Lynda didn’t like smoking. The strip tease. That had actually been removing over garments in a jumble sale. But, of course the local Lads started chanting that “they had stripped” in front of them. She also explain, how she had to moved 3 miles and that this necessitated a school move. Because she wasn’t there to protect Lynda any more from the bullies. There wasn’t much of her now. So, I can’t think that she was particularly big at school. However, Lynda had been move to a private school, which is where they had lost touch for sometime.
And so the night went on. We heard short and long stories of how Lynda had met her friends.
We then retired to the bar where the pictures speak for themselves.
As, I stated previously. Most of these photographs are now classified by MI5 as to dangerous to release.
Well, all good things have to end. So, we met up in the morning at breakfast. To say our good byes and I believe Lynda has several more engagements to celebrate before the end of the year.
All, I can say is the weekend was great and the crew who orginised it did so very well.
This time it’s all about the UK tax system and what is wrong with it for the low paid. OK, for you guys that are not in the UK, this is how the system works.
If, you go to work for 30+ hours a week and have a child under 16 or in full-time education. You can apply for a Working and Child Tax Credit.
The Child Tax Credit amount to £2,845 per child a year. As long as you don’t earn more than £16,190 this amount stays at the above rate. If you do, you need to take the different between the amount you earn and subtract £16,190 from it. Then, subtract 39% of this amount from the £2,845.
Then, there’s a Working Tax Credit. Which again, provides more money as long as you work more than 16+ hours but don’t earn more than £6,190. If, you happen to work 30+ hours you get a bonus of £790. So, typically a credit of £4,600 per year if you are under £6,190. Otherwise, the same rule applies. Take your salary subtract the £6,190 amount from it. What is left, take 39% of it from the allowance value of £4,600.
Now, the point of this article, is the trouble with this system. HM Gov pays these payments in advance of the actual Tax year you are actually in. So, for example. We are in Aug 2010.
But, Tax system credits that would have actually been paid are the allowance for 2011/12. So, if you stop this merry go round, by getting yourself a job that is more than the cut off rates or fail to submit a claim.
You then end up with the Taxman demanding £2,500 overpayment. Which, is a tad rich, as you didn’t make up this lunatic system that is totally open to fraud.
As HM Gov system pays in advance of you knowing your actual earnings for that 2011/2012 year are? If, you do stop the roundabout. This generally will automatically put you into debt!
Typically, £2,500.
That’s £250 of tax income a month over 10 months, that actually works out to be £350 (assuming you are in 20% tax and 10% NI) before tax to pay £250 a month back. That’s, £4,200 a year before tax and National Insurance!
WHAT PLANET is this HM Gov on?
Not only does the system become a serious financial burdened on the now not so richer job seeker. But, it’s a £4,200 reason, not to stop claiming.
Surprisingly enough, these credits are based on income that is actually received. So, you could be director of a company earning 1,000’s pound in a Limited Co. But, as long as you can keep your head above the water with £16,100 in income. Your set for Her Majesty Gov – i.e. you and I continue to paying these credit payments. If, you can manage to keep the income below £6,100 like our pensioner has too. Then, your budget goes to £13,500.
What a system! Payments made upfront. So, the not so honest get the money and then disappear only to set-up camp elsewhere.
For the Tax efficient crew they live on £16,100/6,100 year while earning £x,000’s in a Limited company. Which, no doubt can pay for most of those little expenses without the Tax Man noticing.
Even a good enough reason to start a UK business that provide USA Car parts? Surprising, most USA out fits will not send USA kit outside the country. So, of course the directors will need to visit the USA to purchase and get them shipped back to the UK. There’s a nice two week jolly under businesses expenses.
So, imagine the fun I could have with other credits. Like Housing credit. This is where the rent is paid by the council. The trouble is house/flat is owned by housing claimants family?
Need I go on…..
The trouble is, those that really should being helped. Generally, don’t claim.
As they believe in their own self-respect. However, other’s are not so humble are taking the system for everything they can. As it’s their right!
The only way to stop this roundabout is to ensure that the wages paid to the low paid from companies are high enough to remove them all from this credit based system.
As currently, the general tax pay, is subsidising companies (Corporates included) into paying low wages. Which, is why this Credit system was invented.
Of course, when do you want to claim you have to call a 0870 chargeable number to be answered by a call centre person that takes you through the claim form over a few mins. Then, states you can actually have a form to complete from scratch. Although, they have made you already provide the information to them to complete the form before they will send the form in the post for you to fill in?
Solution:
Phone number with an Automatic answer and provide an address via house no and postcode via the phone’s keypad. For those that can’t handle this provide a website and ask the same questions in House and Postcode and then send it either via e-mail or postal address.
Sorry for the call centre. But, it was a non-job in the first place.
Put the Road Tax on to petrol and make the insurance company take the onus to ensure the vehicle is MOT. Make the MOT a yearly basis from new to ensure that cars are kept roadworthy and emissions are reduced.
Simpler tax system. The more you travel the more you pay in Road Tax via petrol. Get people to take the car to MOT on yearly basis will stop wrecks on the road. No MOT – Car is crushed.
Yet another talking shop to stall the UK Government in taking action.
I use to have a Bank Manager that looked at the Business and then made a decision based on the income coming into the company and the creditworthiness of the companies we had contracts with. In this respect, we were lucky, as when we were AutoCAD dealers the name were from very well know UK companies. Such as COMET Plc, Channel Four, Merrill Lynch, Department of Health, Unipart, Vickers, Renault, Morgan Standley, WS Akins, Austins, Tussauds Group, BT, Quilter Goodison, Euro Tunnel, Charles Taylor it goes on……
However, the point is, the Bank took a view of whether they thought I was up to the job of running the business. This you cannot do without meeting the person(s) involved. It’s now judged on the basis of credit checks, Business Plans etc. All important thing to have. But, without meeting the company directors face to face it will be difficult to decide if the company asking for the funds is worth the backing. Accountants are very good at making business plans. It’s if the Directors can apply the business plan you need to account for.
Another, trick that the banks deploy is when is a loan not a loan? The Oxford Dictionary definition doesn’t apply. No cheating by google searching it!
What it use to be mean many years ago. At the point of the Loan issue or granting, the Bank looks at the company balance sheet and the asset you are trying to purchase and normally provides backing for about 65% to 75% on a good day, of the asset value that company wishes to purchase. Be it equipment or property for the business to operate in.
If the companies loan repayments are met. Then, the Loan should continue to its termination on this basis.
Just because the market conditions change, shouldn’t lead to the bank (Headless Chicken time) demand full payment before the agreed payments are due.
The original asset value should have taken into account the possible drop in market value. That’s why you loan at most 75%. The risk is always the businesses and this needs to be addressed as the cash flow issues caused by this behaviour normally takes out a business that kept their head above water.
Alternatively, don’t call it a Loan. Because it is not! It is an extended overdraft. So, Call it this.
The other trick that the Banks are constantly using is that they need a charge over your house. Now, I could understand this if there is nothing in the company for them to grab and sell in the case of the business going bust. However, when the Loan (See above) is based on a purchase of a company property this seems overkill.
Their answer is;
well if you are not willing to put your house at stake then why should we Loan to you.
Because you are supposed to be backing the BUSINESS, not the individual. We don’t ask the bank employees to put their houses on the line for our company funds that are deposited at the bank, do we?
Otherwise, the company directors might as well raise a Mortgage Loan on the property you want a charge over in the first place. If you are running an overdraft and can do a runner out of the country? Then I can sort of understand you want some security.
Eventually, they gave up. However, don’t let them take charge of the house. There is no need for them to do this unless they are going to give the same asset to your company for them holding the companies funds.
Resolution.
The only way for this sort of behaviour to be stopped is to make the Directors of the Banks responsible for the losses of they banks as a proportion of they salary and bonus. i.e Make Bonuses become negative as well as positive. So, if the company loses money then the bonus become negative on the company balance sheet. The negative bonus has to become positive before any other bonuses can be taken. The Same trick on dividends.
You will be amazed by the transformation this will achieve once it is their money that becomes at risk. Make taking Share Options very expensive in Tax terms to cash, before 10 years has past will then adjust the banks and companies long term view.
Of course, you could really hurt them by stating that they have to have 75% of their Loan Book value in Cash or Gold!
They will huff, puff and cry just like small children.
But, when have you ever got a smile when you have to take medicine?
Well, times are getting harder as the Bankers and Government cause uncertainty in the UK during 2010.
Once the elections are out of the way sometime in May. There will be very little to cheer about for the rest of the year as the pound drops lower against the Euro and Dollar. Just to upset us a little more, the inflation rate will increase and the Government will be forced to increase interest rates to gain funds to plug the rather large whole in Great Britannia.
A typical example of this is to drive a 42-foot yacht into the side of a sea-going oil tanker. With the same effect! Very Very little to the tanker. In fact, that seems to fit the bill when it comes to printing cash. Or as the politicians like to hoodwink the general population by saying quantitative easing.
However, there is a scheme that if you are due to change to renewable technologies could actually end up better off and less reliant on those Large Six UK Electricity / Gas Companies.
Depending on what type of fuel you decide upon the tariff that is paid to you goes against the capital (what you spent to install the system in the first place). Once this is cleared, you end up earning a reasonable amount of money up £600 a year and cheaper Gas or Electric bills.
Here’s an Example
Someone else is obviously paying you. So, make sure that you are getting the money back, before someone next door does! You can install the system now but the payments will not start until April 2011. Where have I heard that before? Oh yes, that’s when everything will look Rosy in the UK by the Government reckoning. I think I believe that as much as the eradication of “Boom and Bust!”
Heat technologies are as follows;
Air source heat pumps
Anaerobic digestion to produce biogas for heat production – Normally methane.
Biomass heat generation and CHP
Ground source heat pumps
Liquid biofuels (but only when replacing oil-fired heating systems)
Solar thermal heat and hot water
As there is a separate scheme for generation of electricity (FITS). However, this scheme has had a large amount of press compared to its poor relation. RHI
So, when you look at the bill that is due through the door in a few weeks time. Remember that you can do something about it without tying your cash up.
Well I have been installing and configuring a VMware 4.0 service with VM View.
This is based upon the ESXi server hosting virtual PC’s either Microsoft or other OS versions.
Why? Well one of my business colleague was having trouble with his technical sale man, that had to travel over the world selling and demonstrating a high value addition to AutoDeskAutoCAD 2010 Mapping. It basically allows organisations such as CAA and other such government authorities over the world to analyse the flight paths approach and procedures into each Airport over the world, with all the various types of Aircraft including the 747’s to the smaller type. I believe it even works on fighter aircraft!
Anyway, the problem was that like every other Corp Sales person. They, know all about PC/Laptop’s. Which, as every IT person will know. “A little knowledge, is more dangerous than having none!” Users, tend to break things, as its away of not having to do work!
Also, having a sales pitch not happen, due to the Laptop not working, is no joke. When, you have just take anything from a 8-24 hours flight to get there. Only for the laptop not to work!
Leaving aside, the expense of a hotel, customer embarrassment, Co2 and it’s a waste of productive sales time.
One other benefit is it also offers the ability for the software house to rent out the software on a hourly basis. As the virtual desktop can have access to a local USB device. It allows prospective clients to test out the system, without having to send and get returned USB dongles. Thus, another time saving. Might, not have to get on the flight in the first place. Major expense on air and hotel stopped!
So, I suggested using the VMware ESXi with VMware View Clients that have the CAD software installed. My collegue looked at me and said that things didn’t go well using RDP. But, I explained that this used the VMware TCOIP protocols. This is based on UDP once connected. Thus, allows adaptive link in providing the screen interface to the client. Which, greatly reduces the bandwidth requirement.
I said, “Why, not set up a trial project box, to try this VMWare solution out? As, all of the software we need can be used for 60 days. If, we are impressed, then, we can commercialise it”.
So, I have been setting this system up over the last a few days. He gave over a HP 64 bit 2Gb Laptop for the ESXi 4 to run on. But, the installer didn’t recognise the laptops SATA controller. I looked into changing the image. Which, with more time, I think I could have got working. However, looking for a resolution to this SATA issue came across the site http://www.techhead.co.uk
As this came with a recommendation from the www.techead.co.uk as a good server. I was thinking about upgrading my trusty Dell workstation anyway. The saying “Garage mechanics have the worst cars!” came to mind. So, I thought, I’ll, purchase this kit and it can be converted into my own Windows 7 workstation afterwards. So, I added two lots of TEAM 4GB PC6400 memory to give a total of 8Gb to the server, for an extra £120. Pressed the order button at 01/02/2010 22:34:13 and the guys at www.serversplus.com delivered via DPD(UK).
DPD(UK) site reported delivery between the hours of 12-14:00 on the 3rd. The man gave me the box at 12:58. Don’t you just love it, when, technology actually works! Couple of years ago, I would have had to stay in the whole day!
Unpacked the box in the afternoon and assembled the internals. Taking out the 1GB stick supplied and replacing it with the 2 set pairs of 2Gb DDR2 RAM giving the system a total 8Gb. Nice.
So, anyone going to make me an offer for this 1Gb?
One of the nice features of this HP system, as shown in the video. Was it has an internal USB port on the motherboard. So, I created and ESXi 4 boot image on a Cadology USB 4Gb stick (Knew, it would come in handy. Well done Dawson). By loading the ESXi4 CD and choosing the USB, as the place to install the image. Changed the BIOS to boot off the USB device. This, as the Techead crew had mentioned, saves wasting any of the original 160GB hard disk drive. Well, I knew that the time would come soon, to upgrade the storage system. So, I ordered a WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR BLUE 500GB 16MB CACHE HARD DRIVE SATAII 300MB/S <8.9MS 7200RPM – OEM drive from NOVTECH at grand total of £34.88 ex vat and using their low cost, don’t mind service at £1.99. It, turns up on the Saturday morning.
Although, you could have survived with 160Gb. I was going to load Windows trials of 2003/8 servers, that tend to need 3-4Gb just to make them take off and I still had to store the ISO images on the server as well. You can use a local DVD/CD drive to install OS on to VMware, but realistically using commercial knowledge, it tends to be a false economy. As, the additional time it takes, costs more in the long run. You can then mount multiple images at one time. ie you can be building several servers/workstations from the same iso image(s). So, if you were creating a Windows 7 Pro and Windows Ultimate virtual workstations you could use the image in parallel, thus, saving time!
I was building 3 x 2003 standard servers first. Installed my own local DC on the first and then create the VM Vcenter and VMView on the others. Installing the Vcenter was ok. I used the client pointing at the ESXi 4 server host itself until the VCentre was up and running. Re-pointed the VMware client to login to he Vcenter server, and everything came to life.
Although, I set the original to 1Gb of RAM it makes the system go a tad slow. (Give it 1.5-2Gb) Then, of course carried on to the VMware View server. All went to plan, until, I tried to install the serial key for the 60 eval licence. “Expired” What?
Anyway, I then, looked up at the clock – 1am and decided to sleep on it.
In the morning, of course, it dawned on me. Whilst, I was getting my daughter ready for school. I had sort of checked the time on the HP server. But, I had not taken too much notice of the server date. As expected this was nowhere near the 3rd Feb! So, thinking I was being clever, I corrected the date. Loads up the Windows 2003 servers, to find that they had decided that I had now to register or they would logoff. As, these were eval’s, that wasn’t going to happen. As, I a good engineer. I decided that the best option was to re-build them again. This seemed the quickest route. As, I knew I could load all 3 at the same time now that I had the ISO image on the ESXi system. So, off we go then and this then went on and on…
Finally, I had 3 W23K servers sorted. Changed the location to UK, as that was where I was. Changed the time to the current time from the 3rd August 2010. Penny dropped! There, was nothing wrong with the other installs. It was the image that was resetting itself to August 2010. Another, reason for the View licence not to register. Of course being a good engineer I had re-booted after the VMware services had been installed to find that servers reset themselves, back to 3rd August 2010!! Yep you guest it. The servers wouldn’t login as the time and date had changed so much from the DC which at the time hadn’t been rebooted. Again, as a engineer. You don’t reboot a single DC without a secondary, unless you really need to. As there is always the chance, that it will not come back. Anyway, I had been here before on the DC time issue. I got the badge in Windows 2000 days! So, I knew how to get around this. Boot in Safe mode then change the date and time to be in line with the DC. Good engineer! Well, yes, that’s how you do it in the real commercial world. However, booting up the server again and we find that the date is back to where it started 3rd Aug 2010! With the message that you have to register or I’ll log you out!
OK, give up on the 2003. What about the Windows 2008 Server? Downloaded the trial of this 2008 standard. A download of a 1.8Gb. Of course, the foot print increases and wouldn’t go anywhere without 2Gb RAM as starters. Anyway, will not bore you with the stage by stage blows on this one. Enough, to say. Anyone, reboots those servers, virtual or otherwise, will be not breathing very long afterwards!
I now have the systems working and VM View licensed. So, it will now function for 60 days. I built a couple of XP workstations with 2 x 512Mb RAM and the CAD one with a 1Gb RAM. I configured the CAD one with the AutoCAD 2010 for which should tick over for the next 30 days and the others with MS Office 2000, just to prove that this structure works. All on my £400 box! Surprisingly, the VMware statistics tell me that this is ticking over nicely.
As, CCS were a AutoDesk dealership. I sold AutoCAD systems. So, I gave the system a work out and it responds really well using the PCOIP protocol. The network traffic was under 0.5%, most of the time. Even, when I started playing the video streams the usage didn’t pop above the 1-2% on the nic. Very impressive!! I can think of quite a lot of commercial reasons to deploy this.
Security of commercial data.
Bandwidth reduction
Provides image even when difficult conditions on bandwidth.
Nothing for the user to upset.
If, all else fails, download the VM client to the clients PC (11Mb) near enough to any PC.
Able to obtain USB data from the local workstation, if the administrator allows it.
Very impressed, on a £400 box.
Think of the Green credentials – one 0.250kW server with 16/24 XP workstations, if not more! against 6kW, if left in the real world. Not forgetting the RAM saving as each Windows 7 Workstation would require 2Gb. This could be down to 1Gb in the virtual world as the spare memory would be shared by all of the workstations. You could even get a Carbon Interest free loan from the Carbon Trust to complete the task!
Compelling stuff.
At a licence cost of $150 (£80) per virtual client connection, supplied in 10 or 100 users versions, which are co-current, both a large and small organisation, could happily share the licensing connections with other parts of the business or time zones!
Should, the snow return in the UK, stopping people getting into the office. Then, you have your solution already established. As, this desktop could be accessed from the employees home via the broadband.
Login, with the same Window account login over a SSL linked stream. VMware View allows both Corp base build machines or dedicated builds to individual.
For the IT technical crew you update the Corp base image with patches or amendments and all virtual PC’s are dynamically built from this image. Get it wrong! Roll back the image to the one before and everything go back to normal. Try, doing that with SMS 2003 on a 18,000 PC’s site! Yes, SMS can roll- back. But, it isn’t pretty….been there.
You can allow the Directors to have their very own virtual PC, that with the right ESXi4 equipment and some VMware software, is near 99.8% available, as your server infrastructure is already of course? With, the addition of some IP telephony, an organisation can be switched to real cloud computing.
Allowing, employees to sit anywhere in the world and still have secure access to their virtual desktop.
Not that hard, these days with the new satellites providing broadband speeds wherever in the world you are, even in the arctic, if you want to really see snow! I prefer sitting in the warm and not worry about snow.
Which, of course, brings me back to the reason in doing this in the first place.
Allowing, a sales person to connect to a software secure desktop to demonstrate a CAD system from wherever he is in the world!
I think, it will work well enough for the project to progress! You’ll just have to wait until the next post to find out!
But, from what I have seen to date. It’s only the latency, between the two sites, I can see upsetting this solution.
If, you want to have a go on a real example within the next 60 days, then drop me an e-mail, to sales@tagware.co.uk or post a comment.
The basics I can follow and at least they admit that this system is better, but not perfect!
The big question is “How do you explain this to the general population?”
The people that want the change, are not the ones that will make the money (evil stuff) or gratification for doing it.
So, either the system breaks and someone then tells us, this is the way or the machines in the end do it for us, as they decided that this is logical.
The other obvious trouble is that there has to be a reason for the basic tasks to be completed. Who is going to pull out the potatoes from the ground or in fact put the seeds into it? Someone has to fill the machine with supplies.
However, once you have nano technology available. Assuming this is not sat on like the rest of invention. This then becomes more of a question of where do you stop?
Once you can re-arrange atoms into other items. Things start to become difficult. Place you neutral atoms into a large micro wave machine and the computer system will re arrange it into anything non-living, is going to turn the world on its head. As all you need is energy too create what you want.
That energy conversion should come from either geothermal (underground) or in my opinion from the SUN. As we don’t expect that light to go out for several million years!
I have always said that computerising a process then throwing away the person who did it in the first place, is very wasteful. The machine requires to be serviced or fixed anyway and the original person has a brain in their head. This can be used for more challenging tasks, that a machine cannot complete. Imagining or THINKing!
Working in the Evil Money world for a moment. The only reason not to do this, is to save the company money (or in their words efficiencies). But, if they make the person unemployed. Then the government (You and Me with loads of middle people administrating the system) have to support them. How is that achieved? By taxing the companies profit. So, what was real point anyway?
Starting to get scary…..
The energy needs of the world can be solved today. With out the need to do a great deal. Couple of mirror plants in African, central America, Australia and China and pipe the electrical supply over the world can be done today. It has already been put forward by the OPEC countries as they can see that the oil will come to an end. Or technology will circumvent oil usage. As stated in the desertec.org site. If energy becomes plentiful with the water as a by-product. Then, control disappears!
Already been acknowledge here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_array that PV technology that only 12% efficient! Can produce enough energy for the worlds needs. PV is silicon based. Got lots of the stuff (Desert sand). Power will be reclaimed from the Sun. You have small input to get the process started. But, once the plant is energy neutral, then you can produce this kit until you run out of sand. (Yep! Tad simplified. But, there are no insurmountable problems to this)
If, you used the materials that are already there, with our knowledge, then this could can be achieved. The main problem is that governments/corp would not make any money. But, as the materail is already there on the ground why do we need too?
The statement would have to be “We build it with our know how and you get the benefits of using the water that is desalinated”. But, don’t think that would float as an idea!
Alternative to revolution, is to provide the Patents with clause “that non use of the technology commercially” would invalidate it’s cover. That would allow companies to continue development and receive money for the present. But, stop what is currently happening. Which is to protecting markets by not developing a patent commercially.
Or, an alternative, as I don’t want to be seen not to provide choice, is provide a pharmacy option, when patent licence expires. Then any person can use the technology with no financial reward.
You can’t claim Licence/money on a process or idea once that inventor is no longer alive. Companies would not be able to hold patents. This would fix patent ransoming overnight. As it would force the company’s and inventors to develop new ideas.
You need to sit down and watch this when you have 2 hrs! But, there is nothing in here that couldn’t be done today. The prove has already been provided here and in other proposals. It seems only corporates want to hold up the change. Nature has away of balancing the world out and our indebted system is likely to fail soon.
What you have to say.