Commercial & Residential Solar

Councillors in Dundee have approved plans that could see solar panels installed across thousands of council buildings, including homes. The Council is now in the process of acquiring a commercial partner to install and maintain the systems over 25 years.

Swindon Commercial Services Limited (SCS) has installed solar panels on its office, warehouse and bus depot roof as part of Swindon Borough Council’s Sustainable Energy Framework. By installing photovoltaics across the building rooftops, the Council hopes to reduce its carbon footprint as well as its rising energy bills.

Social housing tenants are set to benefit from a new Government-run scheme, which has pledged £3 million to help cut rising bill costs. The funding will be put towards the installation of eco-heaters, including solar thermal panels.

Epsom Council is currently locking horns with its residents over solar panel installations which it believes damage the ‘character and visual quality’ of the area. According to Your Local Guardian, two Epsom homeowners, who have each paid up to £14,000 for the installation of solar panels, have been ordered to remove…

Solar installer the Green Electrician has finished work on PV systems for six farms in Shropshire. The portfolio, totalling 714kWp, took just three months to install and was completed ahead of the deadline for the feed-in tariff cuts of August 1.

Solar power is set to play a lead role in the new BBC Wales studios in Cardiff Docks. Krannich Solar and EcoFirst have installed a 50kW system at the studios, which will be one of the centerpieces in the £200 million redevelopment of the docks.

Tenesol has become the latest solar module manufacturer to receive the Government's Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation. The certification, which is a prerequisite in order to sell PV systems in the UK under the feed-in tariff (FiT), has been awarded to Tenesol’s advanced modules.

The UK’s largest land owner, the Crown Estate, has given solar power its stamp of approval by installing a 164.5kWp rooftop system on a stone factory on the Isle of Portland in Dorset. Albion Stone, the owner of the factory, will save thousands of pounds on its annual electricity bill thanks to the system, which is expected to generate 150,000 kWh a year. Electricity generated from the £500,000 installation will be sold to Albion Stone at a reduced rate, with any surplus fed in to the National Grid.

Kettering-based Street Energy is launching a new scheme offering free PV systems for over 500 Midlands homes. The arrangement will see Street Energy utilise the ‘roof-lease’ model, whereby it will receive the benefits of the Government’s feed-in tariff (FiT) in exchange for installing the 2.8kW systems at no cost to the homeowner.

Reading Borough Council is considering installing solar panels on the town’s schools and council buildings in an attempt to tackle escalating energy costs. On Wednesday the council’s cabinet met to discuss the feasibility of the £5 million solar scheme.