More tenants of Newark and Sherwood Homes are set to benefit from free electricity during daylight hours, as the organisation has decided to reinvest in another 135 solar PV installations across the district. The work will be carried out by Nationwide Solar, the UK's largest social housing solar PV contractor.
Twelve months ago, Newark and Sherwood Homes invested in around 300 installations through solar PV specialist Nationwide Solar, with elderly and vulnerable tenants given priority wherever their roofs were assessed to be suitable. As Newark and Sherwood Homes is part of the Efficiency East Midlands (EEM) framework and Nationwide Solar is an approved supplier, it means the organisation benefits from savings gained from bulk buying of solar PV. Newark and Sherwood Homes has therefore been able to reinvest the efficiencies generated during the past 12 months into this latest phase of installations, as part of its long term commitment to improving the energy efficiency of tenant's homes.
Andy Dewberry, Assistant Director – Asset and Development Services, said: "We secured our first phase of solar PV at the highest FIT rate, which has generated a significant amount in the past year. Through efficiencies generated we are now able to invest further in making the homes we manage greener and more affordable for tenants. Tenants will benefit from over £100 per annum of free electricity and the future income generated from the Feed in Tariff can be reinvested to support housing services for all tenants and benefit the community as a whole."
Via the Feed-in-Tariff scheme, Newark and Sherwood Homes can claim funding for every kW of electricity generated and additional funding for surplus electricity that is exported into the grid.
Andy continues: "We chose Nationwide Solar, as they are an approved supplier to Efficiency East Midlands, so we were assured about the quality of their work. We were very pleased with the speed and efficiency of the installations carried out last time, as well as with how their staff were polite and courteous to tenants."
Russ Cowan, managing director of Nationwide Solar, said: "With increasing energy costs, Newark and Sherwood Homes has made a very wise decision to invest in solar PV to help its tenants to benefit from lower electricity bills. As an organisation, they will also reap the benefits of the Feed in Tariff, which will give them a significant return on their investment over the next 20 years. Because of their reinvestment programme, it will also bring many benefits too for tenants and the local community."
Nationwide Solar is an accredited and experienced supplier and installer of solar panels and is one of the largest suppliers of solar photovoltaic systems in the UK. The company supplies solar panels to domestic projects and commercial and public sector installations and guarantees a specific return on investment, which is calculated based on the property's location, perspective and shading.
As an MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) accredited installer, this means Nationwide Solar staff have undergone training in system design, installation and aftersales care. MCS is a body that certificates microgeneration technologies that are used to produce electricity and heat from renewable sources.
Nationwide Solar supplies paid-for solar photovoltaic systems to both the domestic and commercial markets and counts many local authorities, schools, businesses and homeowners amongst its customers. The company is renowned for the high quality of its installations and works with manufacturers of the very highest quality products, with its Solar Photovoltaic systems designed to last 25 years and beyond.
