THE need to find alternative forms of energy to ensure industry keeps working and the lights keep burning in Britain's homes has never been greater.

Experts predict that natural gas will run out in the next 35 to 40 years, and oil will be exhausted by 2050.

In only five years, the UK will no longer be self-sufficient in natural gas and will be forced to rely on politically unstable areas of the world for its supplies.

Rather than wait for the lights to go out, companies are already searching for alternative energy sources.

One of those alternatives is photovoltaics - in which energy from the sun is converted into electricity - which is already being implemented in the region by housebuilders Bryant/Taylor Woodrow and Persimmon.

The project, on the Great Park, in Newcastle, is also home to computer software firm Sage's headquarters.

The development of photovoltaics on the park is being backed by The Northern Energy Initiative (TNEI), the organisation pioneering solutions in the field of new and renewable energy, BP Solar, consulting engineers Arup, Newcastle City Council, Scottish and Southern Electricity and regional development agency One NorthEast.

Of the first of 500 homes under construction on the development, a dozen will be fitted with photovoltaic systems, in the form of solar panels, or solar tiles, replacing traditional tiles.

The electricity generated will be used in the homes, with surplus power being sold back to the electricity supplier.

Helen Nisbet, consultant project manager for TNEI, in Newcastle, said: "Photovoltaics provides a renewable resource, reliant on light to produce electricity.

"Such systems are designed to be unobtrusive on the roof of a property and can produce savings on a households' electricity bills of between 25 and 40 per cent.

"The advantage is that any surplus electricity generated by the system can be bought back by the traditional electricity supplier. The Government is so keen on this form of alternative power that it is offering grants of 50 per cent, up to £5,000, to households fitting the systems.

"They currently cost around £6,000 to £9,000 for a modular system fitted to a home, or between £12,000 and £15,000 for a tile system, replacing existing tiles on the roof."

Energy Minister Stephen Timms saw the development of the photovoltaic technology for himself on a visit to the region last week.

He visited Newcastle University to see the development of the Devonshire Building, which will be partly powered by solar panels on the roof, developed in partnership with TNEI.

The building, to be completed by next month and opened in the early part of next year, will house much of the university's environmental research activity and has already won approval for its environmentally-friendly design from construction industry watchdog, the Building Research Establishment.

Mr Timms also visited the Romag Group in Consett, which has signed an agreement with BP Solar for the development of solar panels that can be incorporated into the fabric of a building.

The company, which is floating on the Alternative Investment Market (Aim) on Thursday, is using the money raised from the flotation to fund a £2.5m production line for photovoltaic cells.

The company's chief executive, Lyn Miles, said: "We have been developing building-integrated photovoltaics, that can be incorporated into the fabric of a building, for the past four or five years.

"However, at the time we started their development, the infrastructure was not in place to take it forward. Our Aim flotation will provide us with the necessary funds to develop the product, in partnership with BP Solar."

She said: "The new facility will add a further 20 to 40,000sq ft to our current 70,000sq ft premises at Leadgate, in Consett. It should lead to the creation of more jobs, on top of the 150 we currently employ, but it is too early to say how many.

"The new production line will enable Romag to mass produce photovoltaics compared to the current bespoke work we do, making the product cheaper and more accessible to a wider market.

"I anticipate in years to come, houses will incorporate photovoltaic glass in the same way as double glazing is now.

"It will be a standard in many homes, being incorporated into the fabric of the building, in the form of windows and doors, or roof tiles, letting in light, but also generating electricity for the home.

"I believe this region has a perfect opportunity to develop this technology and become a world-renowned centre for the development of photovoltaics."

Published: 04/11/2003