Some energy consumers in the UK are turning to solar panels to reduce their carbon footprint, the BBC reported.An interview with London resident Johannes Gleede - who installed a rooftop solar thermal panel in his roof ten years ago - revealed that he has cut his electricity bill in half by generating his own energy.The news source reported that government figures from 2006 indicate that there are around 78,470 UK homes currently using solar thermal energy as a source of domestic water heating.Experts at the University of Southampton - which currently uses solar panels - have claimed that photovoltaic technology could be a good way for Britain to generate more renewable power.The British Photovoltaic Association estimates that a typical rooftop solar panel system may generate around 1,500 kilowatt hours of electricity per year if the panel array is tilted to the south, although energy output can vary based on a number of factors.