Heating contractor EAGA are piloting a solar scheme across council homes in Welwyn Hatfield Council in a project designed to add hundreds of solar photovoltaic panels to households. In a scheme similar to carbon reduction programs happening all across the UK, the Hertfordshire scheme will utilise the feed-in tariff in order to save money and of course, reduce carbon emissions.

The feed-in tariff works by offering fixed, premium rates for units of energy generated by small scale renewable energy projects exactly like the one piloted in Hertfordshire. The EAGA scheme will seek to save each household money on fuel bills because of the obvious savings on electricity. As well as the financial rewards to the scheme, the solar photovoltaic installations will save around 1200kg of CO2 a year per household.

Across the 25 year life time of the scheme this equates to 30 tonnes, a sizeable amount which if replicated elsewhere would certainly contribute significantly to UK carbon reductions. Suitability for the solar scheme will obviously depend on such factors as aspect and roof size, however a large number of council schemes across the UK will inevitably cotton onto the EAGA project and seek to make carbon reductions and indeed generate revenue through the feed-in tariff.

Councillor Roger Trigg said with regards to the Welwyn project,

“We are proud to start the New Year with such a positive and innovative scheme, which will mean real savings in our tenants’ energy bills and their overall carbon footprint. We recognise how important it is for our tenants to manage the cost of keeping their homes warm and comfortable. Our homes have already been recognized as some of the most thermally efficient in the UK, and this strengthens our commitment to energy efficiency even further.”

While there is currently a focus on government spending cutbacks, such council schemes indicate how renewable energy, twinned with the feed-in tariff can be a real, viable means of both reducing carbon emissions, saving money and ultimately, helping to boost industry and create much needed jobs.