However, it is a product which works best in certain circumstances. The following points should be kept in mind if you are considering if a solar panel will work well on your home.

• A solar panel will collect energy from sunlight at any time of the day and in all weathers, however the amount of the energy collected will vary depending on the position of the panel and the strength of the sunlight on that day.
• A south facing roof will collect the most sunlight and generate the most energy.
• The slope of the roof is also a contributory factor in how much sunlight reaches your panel. An angle of between 10 and 20 degrees is considered optimal, but other angles can still produce effective energy.
• In some cases simply adding more panels will allow enough energy to be produced, even if the slope or position of the roof is not optimal. Solar installers will be able to advise on this.
• If your roof is shaded by trees or other buildings for the entire day, then you may need to consider if a solar panel is best for you. Full shade for the whole day will not allow you to get the best from your solar panel and installing a free-standing solar panel elsewhere in your garden may be a better option. Trimming trees may be a cost effective solution.
• Walls can also be used for solar panels if the roof is not a viable option. Any south facing wall which gets good sun for part of the day would be ideal.
• If you have a flat roof you can install a solar panel within a frame which will tilt it to the correct angle.
• If you are hoping to install solar panels to heat your hot water, you will need to ensure you have the correct type of boiler. A hot water cylinder is required, so those with a combi-boiler will need to bear this additional cost in mind.

One of the main considerations for anyone installing solar panels is the question of money. It is clear that if the installation costs are going to outweigh the overall benefits, it may not be best for you. You will need to be sure that the position of your panel optimises the sunlight and therefore the amount of energy you get. If you do not get enough energy from the panel it will not be worthwhile in money terms.

You can compare up to 3 solar panel quotes here or alternatively apply for free solar panels.

The loan would be linked to your property, rather than to you, and is designed to help spread the cost of energy saving improvements by allowing households to pay back the loan from the energy savings made each year.

The ‘save-as-you-pay’ initiative is part of the Governments plan to cut emissions from all 22 million UK households by 29% by 2020.

Installing solar panels can reduce energy bills by up to 80%, and can even earn money from selling energy back to the grid. But many are unable to fund the initial cost of installing such measures, which can amount to around £7000-£10,000.

Whilst this new scheme would help to reduce this initial investment, critics argue that new home owners could be forced to pay for the previous owners loans, and could lead to problems selling a home in the first place.

“I think it could have a detrimental effect on the housing market. Just the principle of attaching a loan to the property complicates things unnecessarily and it interferes with the free market value of the house,”  Gary Smith, President of the National Association of Estate Agents says.

However, Ed Miliband argues that the improvements made to the home, and therefore the energy savings, would far outweigh any loan attached to the property:  “You’ll find that the energy bills are significantly lower so, say, you’ll be having a few hundred pounds off your energy bills and offsetting that you’ll have a couple of hundred pounds in payments.”

The Conservatives argue that any loan paypack should be linked to household energy bill, allowing greater transparency: “It would not be a debt attached to the home, we would pay it off over time through the electricity bill,” Greg Clark, the Conservatives energy spokesman.

The Goverment is due to launch a new Feed in Tariff for solar panels and wind turbines in April, allowing homes to sell energy back to the grid in return for tax-free cash. This is coupled with existing grants available towards the cost of cavity wall and loft insulation.

Whatever your view, it seems evironmental policy, and specifically how to encourage households to cut emmissions, will be a popular point of discussion in the run up to this year’s general election.

Camberley, Kidderminster and Leicester will act as showrooms for the supermarket’s new line of energy saving heating appliances. As well as cavity wall and loft insulaton, these showrooms will also  provide solar panels and allow customers to compare energy prices.

Upon selecting a heating appliance or energy saving device, an engineer from EDF Energy will then visit the home and install it.

Sainsburys says that this is the first time that energy-saving products have been made available in UK supermarkets. It follows a growing trend from supermarkets to extend their range of products away from food and groceries.

Whether this initative has a future, or whether it is a PR stunt designed to benefit both Sainsburys and EDF, only time will tell.