The well known solar panel installer/developer Nationwide Solar, which have installed over ten thousand domestic and commercial systems until know, being one of the most experienced installation company in the United Kingdom,just won a bid to instal solar photo voltaic panels in over one thousand homes across Rhondda Cynon Taf Council. The main purpose of the project was to reduce the region's fuel poverty situation, thanks to high tech and a few good people.
An agreement was signed with Nationwide Solar by RCT Homes, the manager of local authority homes, representing the Welsh council, the deal was to install free solar panels on over one thousand of its rented residences.
Apparently, both the local authorities and social housing providers view solar installations as a win-win situation, as Mr. Russ Cowan, the Managing Director at Nationwide Solar told us:
“It means that there is no financial outlay for them, but their tenants benefit from savings on their energy bills, reducing the number in fuel poverty.”
Not everybody in the solar industry shares his views, there are many critics of the free solar model, and Mr. Malcolm Wilson, RCT Homes Deputy Chief Executive stated on behalf of the free installations:
“When the feed-in tariff was reduced last year, solar PV became less attractive to some people. But for us, it was never about the money, as we are more interested in attacking fuel poverty. NWS has the expertise in fitting solar PV systems for tenants and we are delighted to be partnering with them on this project.”
Mr. Wilson also told us that:
“The most important thing is that tenants will make savings of around £120 per year on their energy bills. The fact that we have made a deal that works, despite all the constraints, shows that large-scale solar PV for social housing is definitely back on the agenda.”
Along with reducing their carbon footprint substantially, the tenants who will benefit by the free solar power will also have their energy bill cut dramatically, helping them out of fuel poverty, as the companies who developed the project hope.
Mr. Cowan remains very optimistic regarding the future of social housing and solar power, stating that:
“The fact that we are investing in providing free solar PV for thousands of tenants’ homes across the country just goes to show that solar PV is still a very viable and worthwhile investment. We have the expertise in partnering with local authorities, ALMOs and housing associations to ensure we deliver the right solution for tenants. Our installation teams have extensive experience in working in tenants’ homes to ensure a smooth and straightforward installation.”
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