OPINION: Time to add solar panels to all houses

I do find it quite extraordinary that any new house is built without sufficient solar panels to cover the consumption of a regular family.

Additionally all new shops, schools, office blocks, etc. should be fully equipped with solar panelling.

I know there is an ongoing debate as to whether man made climate change is real or not (I'm firmly in the it's real camp) but, even if it's not doesn't it make good economic sense for families to be able to turn their backs on fossil fuels and use only renewables for their household needs? After all sunlight is free!

But, let's be honest, that's not going far enough. Why don't the government pay for all new households to have solar panels fitted?

It would cost around £7,000 per house (probably less as part of an organised campaign). And then, beyond occasional maintenance costs, every household would have no household electricity bills.

How cool would that be?

So why don't they do it? My guess is that the big oil companies and their shareholders, which probably include a large number of MPs and their families, block actions that might harm their profits.

Whether man made climate change is real or not the economic argument would support a move to minimise the use of fossil fuels at the earliest possible moment. It couldn't harm the environment or make man made climate change any worse and it would surely eliminate fuel poverty at a stroke.

Let's stop funding wars, and investing in pollution causing industries, and have some vision for the future.

NEWS: The Matlock Blackout

And so the Matlock Blackout continues, 18 hours and counting.

Yesterday afternoon, at about 1pm, an electricity substation in Winster (a village a few miles from Matlock) exploded. It took firefighters several hours to put out the fire.

At its peak the loss of the substation had knocked out power from 34,000 homes from Matlock to Ashbourne and on to Leek in Staffordshire. By mid-evening many homes had power back. Overnight, though, 15,000 homes were still without power.

The kids saw it as a great adventure, all excited with the torches they have for camping.

When I drove back into Matlock at around 8.30 p.m. it was odd - somehow spooky with the lack of people put and about, and also the darkness with shops, houses, puns and restaurants plunged into blackness.

Behind some windows there was the flickering of candles.

Also surprising was the number of businesses that had an emergency supply to illuminate their windows. I'm sure the environment weeps each night.

The local pizza delivery firm was somehow fully open and, I suspect, doing a roaring trade.

And what of today?

I had always thought a national grid meant that if one part failed another could be switched over but it appears not. There was an announcement last night from the County Council saying that Matlock could be without power "for a few days" - in the 21st century this is ridiculous.

I've just been sent a text from my children's school saying they have power back and so will be open as normal - that's a relief!

We're hoping the food in the freezer stays frozen and will try to charge phones, etc. probably via car chargers.

In the meantime, to conserve energy, it is a communications blackout!

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7.13 a.m. update: My wife has just popped out and reports street lights have returned and some houses in our road seem to have power - how odd!

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11.53 update

And we're back. Power has returned!