Could solar panels be the answer to blackouts?

Many Britons may have read reports about the harmful effects of carbon emissions on the environment and climate change and feel that they wish to do their own bit to help the planet.

And by making an investment in renewable energy technology for their own homes, they could also soon be enjoying the added benefits of reduced utility bills and even the chance to make a bit of extra money.

However, there may be an even more pressing reason to invest in renewable energy, following a recent report from the government.

The document warned that households in the UK may soon be facing power blackouts, similar to those experienced by Britons during the 1970s.

The government is forecasting that by 2017 there will be power cuts equivalent to the whole of Nottingham being without electricity for a day, due to looming utility shortages.

And official papers show that consumers will be hit by an "energy gap" when a number of existing power stations are shut down, with nine oil and coal-fired power plants to close by 2015 because of an EU directive designed to limit pollution and associated acid rain. At the same time, four ageing nuclear power plants will be shut.

But households that buy into renewable energy now - which can include technologies such as solar panels, air and ground source heat pumps and wind turbines - may be able to avoid the worst of such power blackouts.

A spokesperson from British Eco Energy said: "We believe that awareness of renewable energy resources need to be increased significantly.

"Not just because of the threat of power failures but also because of the government's targets that they've set [...] in terms of carbon reduction and climate change. If awareness is not raised significantly then the chances of them meeting those targets are very slim."

He added that while he was unsure of how tangible the threat of energy shortages is, it "can't hurt" raising awareness of renewable energy technology.

Britons who use technology such as solar panels could find that further down the line, any excess energy they generate and do not use could be sold to the National Grid, which could see them not only lowering their energy bills, but also boosting their income.

Solar water heating technology is produced by manufacturers such as Worcester Bosch, Valliant, Baxi, Ferroli, Grant and Viessmann.

Such a system collects heat produced by the sun and converts it into usable heat for the home - using it to power a household's hot water supply and central heating system.

Meanwhile, a ground source heat pump recovers the heat stored in the ground and pumps it into a property's central heating, while an air source heat pump works in a similar way, but by collecting heat from the air.

Aside from renewable energy technology, there are other central heating appliances currently on the market that are regarded as being green options.

Biomass boilers - of which Baxi is one manufacturer - cut a household's reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil, relying instead on wood chip or pellets which are typically grown from a sustainable source of trees.

And a condensing boiler can also be a more energy efficient alternative to traditional gas boilers as they are able to convert more of their fuel into waste than a standard appliance, reducing the resulting waste.

But whatever they choose, homeowners who invest in renewable energy technology may be counting the benefits should the government's prediction come true.