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Free Solar Installations for Social Housing in Manchester
Published on 05 March 2021
United Kingdom
Greater Manchester
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About this good practice
Solar PV installations carried out on approximately 2,000 of social housing provider Southway Housing Trust’s homes, free of charge to tenants, for whom rising energy price and risks of fuel poverty are a big concern. The project is financed by a private investor, for whom the investment cost is repaid by the UK government’s feed-in tariff scheme which gives a fixed cost back to green energy generators, (i.e. the initial investor who installed an owns the solar panels), and free maintenance on the panels for 20 years.
Resources needed
3.46 million euros in funding from private investment
Social housing contractors for installation and maintenance
Social housing contractors for installation and maintenance
Evidence of success
Approximately 1/3 of Southway Housing Trust’s 6,000 properties (occupied by low-income social tenants) are fitted with solar panels which can reduce annual energy bills by up to 58% and providing free daytime electricity at no cost to the end user.
Reductions in CO2 by over a tonne per household per year.
Reductions in CO2 by over a tonne per household per year.
Potential for learning or transfer
Large upfront investment needed to subsidise the entire cost of the solar panels, as well as government policies such as the feed-in-tariff needed to pay back investments and to ensure cheap or free electricity for vulnerable tenants. Demand for solar PV installations on social housing stock has grown exponentially (according to project) and this investment model has the interests of residents at its core (provision of free solar energy with no upfront costs).
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Southway Housing Trust Ltd
United Kingdom
Greater Manchester
Contact