31 July 2006: Sharp Electronics, the world’s leading manufacturer of solar panels, has joined forces with Currys, the UK’s leading electrical retailer, to offer a range of solar energy solutions for the home for the first time on the high street. Customers opting for solar power can expect to reduce their electricity bill by up to 50% and could cut down their home’s carbon dioxide emissions by up to two tons per year. Solar panels will initially be on sale in three Currys stores, and information will also be available online. Panels come with a performance warranty of 25 years, and minimum maintenance is required by the customer.

[...]The cost for an installation of nine solar panels (enough to cover approximately half of a household’s electricity requirements on an average three bedroom house) is circa £9,000. Each individual customer’s requirements will be assessed in detail, following the initial discussion in-store.

I'm not completely convinced that the indicative pricing is going to provide enough of an ROI for a large take up on pure cost saving grounds - although if oil prices remain high this may not be true - however it would also help anyone who wants a certain amount of supply independence (for running a home office network for example) - or anyone who wants to run air conditioning in the hot summer for that matter.