A Solar Power Station In Muswell Hill

In a curious reversal of the plans for Battersea, an early twentieth century house in Muswell Hill has been converted into an eco power station. The nondescript 1930s property on Twyford Avenue, N10, has been tricked out with solar panels by the owners, and during our sunny summer — which despite howls of anguish in that wet July turned out to be as barbecue-ready as thh Met Office suggested in April — the photovoltaic panels slung 500 units of electricity into the palms of the National Grid, earning inhabitant and scientist Dr Alan Morton a cool couple of ton. As well as building a nice little earner, Dr Morton strikes a philosophical, but accurate, line on solar energy: "People [think] it's the answer to everything or they're completely pessimistic that it's a waste of time... [we should] start with the basics and move on to the more exotic stuff". The Department for Energy & Climate Change should hire him as a spokesman.