Solar panels not such a bright idea?

The RICS suggests instead that environmentally conscious people wanting to cut fuel bills should insulate lofts and cavity walls, install efficient light bulbs and seal windows.

This is a good example to use when illustrating the principle of opportunity cost, allocative efficiency and the related cost-benefit principle. The payback time for cavity wall insulation etc can be as little as three years. Here is an article on the research in today’s Telegraph.

Unit 2 Macro: Revision Notes on Supply-side Policies [10 May 2012]
Unit 3 Micro: Revision on Contestable Markets [8 Apr 2012]
Solar Panels and Tariffs [21 Mar 2012]
Unit 3 Micro: The Economics of Solar Subsidies [18 Jan 2012]
Unit 2 Macro: Videos on Productivity [17 Jan 2012]
Unit 3 Micro: World’s Largest Solar Plant Opens [15 Jan 2012]
Unit 3 Micro: Sub Normal Profits - BP Leaves the Solar Industry [21 Dec 2011]
AS Macro: The State of British Business [13 Nov 2011]
Unit 1 Micro: Is the Sun Dipping on Solar Subsidies? [27 Oct 2011]
A2 Micro: Market Structure, Conduct & Performance [19 May 2011]
Unit 3 Micro: Perfect Competition [19 May 2011]
Key AS Micro Terms: Economic Efficiency [16 Apr 2011]
Unit 3 Micro: Solar Panels and Economies of Scale [11 Apr 2011]
Revision: Types of Economic Efficiency [2 Dec 2010]
Lesson Worksheet - Production Possibilities and Opportunity Cost [8 Aug 2010]
A selection of revision notes on supply side policies [1 Jun 2010]
Revision Presentation - Public Goods [23 Feb 2010]
Jimmy’s Global Harvest [8 Jan 2010]
How to make a profit from a free good [2 Dec 2009]
Q&A: What is the productivity gap? [1 Jun 2009]
Unit 1 Micro: Short Note on Government Intervention [22 May 2009]
A2 Micro: Contestable Markets [15 May 2009]
Cash Incentives for Healthy Options [11 Apr 2009]
Pay cuts in a recession [28 Dec 2008]
Paying tax at 90% - the poverty trap [23 Dec 2008]
Economics of energy - over a barrel [22 Dec 2008]
Contestable Markets – The Market for Smart-Phones [16 Dec 2008]
SPEW [1 Dec 2008]
Cathartic recessions [19 Nov 2008]
Back to the cave or a brave new world? [22 Sep 2008]
Maintaining profitability in the airline industry [21 Sep 2008]
Behavioural change behind the wheel [27 Aug 2008]
Supplying the rising demand for wind power [22 Aug 2008]
BAA faces break up after Competition probe [21 Aug 2008]
Changing vehicles - a quick thought experiment [23 Jun 2008]
Adjusting to oil price super spikes [11 Jun 2008]
Revision: Market Power [25 May 2008]
12 Must Revise Topics for A2 [18 May 2008]
Revision: Natural Monopolies [17 Apr 2008]
Revision: Innovation [24 Mar 2008]
OCR 2888 - June Case Study - Broad Themes [24 Mar 2008]
Economies of Scale [17 Mar 2008]
UK ranked as one of Europe’s innovation leaders [24 Feb 2008]

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