Solar panels make carbon savings at Severnside

Published by Matt Critchley for Severnside Housing in Housing

Severnside Housing has gone green, after solar panels were installed at offices and sheltered housing schemes across the local area, which will reduce the housing provider’s annual carbon emissions by more than 27 tonnes.

Work began with the installation of photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on the roof of Severnside’s Knights Way offices in Battlefield, along with low power lighting to reduce energy consumption.

Having installed PV solar panels at Knights Way, Severnside was keen that residents benefited from renewable energy sources too, so also fitted solar panels on communal rooms at 11 sheltered housing schemes. Currently, residents pay a service charge towards their communal facilities, which includes a charge for electricity. Though these panels will not reduce the need for electricity, they will help to offset any future increase in utility costs as a result of energy price increases.

All of the installation work was carried out by Shropshire-based organisations, including Andy Walters Electrical, Salop Energy and MiPower to ensure that local companies were supported and local employment sustained.

Ian Gardner, Asset Management Director at Severnside Housing, said: “As a not-for-profit organisation, it is vital that Severnside uses resources efficiently and ensures value for money for our tenants. Solar panels present a clear opportunity to do this, while at the same time helping residents by reducing the amount they pay for electricity. It was also important that we finished the work before the changes to the Feed In Tariffs.”

Severnside has now installed a total of 235 PV solar panels, which will should generate 56 Kilo Watts of power, and reduce annual carbon emissions by more than 27 tonnes, based on DEFRA calculations.