Joint installation in Kenilworth – featured in Leamington Courier

Eco₂Solar installed solar PV systems onto 12 houses in Kenilworth over a period of 2 weeks in October 2010. Action 21, a sustainability advice company in Leamington Spa, collaborated with Eco₂Solar to compile a scheme which would save homeowners money by having the systems installed over a short period in return for us being able to concentrate our labour in one place.

The total size of the systems came out at 30kWp which works out at approximately 24,000 kWh’s of free electricity every year – which assuming the customers pay 15p per unit, equates to £3,600 per year. However, the bulk of the money will be coming from the Feed in Tariff scheme, which makes installing the systems much more financially viable. As a group, the homeowners can expect to earn £9,900 every year for 25 years. The rate is paid tax free, and is Retail Index Linked.

The article from the newspaper read:

“Solar energy will be powering a group of Kenilworth homes from now on thanks to special roof panels fitted this week. “The homeowners who invested in the new system believe they will now save money on energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint. “They got together earlier this year after Jan Burnell, who lives in Inchbrook Road, discovered that Action 21, the Leamington-based sustainability promoter, had negotiated a group discount arrangement with Eco2Solar, a PV and solar thermal supplier in Kidderminster. “Mrs Burnell, a Kenilworth initiative for Climate Change member, said: ‘The first scaffolding arrived this week [11th October 2010] for the installation of solar energy systems on 12 Kenilworth houses.

“People are buying now because it’s financially very attractive, not much because of what you save, but because of what you earn by producing.

“In fact it is so attractive that lots of people just don’t believe it at first.

“According to the information, an initial investment of £10,000 brings in an income, plus savings, of around £1,000 a year, every year for 25 years, which is a total of more than £25,000 plus free electricity.

“If there’s somewhere else where you can get that kind of guaranteed deal, legally, then I’d like someone to tell me.’

Cllr John Whitehouse (Lib Dem, Abbey) was one of the homeowners who took part in the group purchase of solar panels. He said: ‘I think it’s a great initiative, both financially and environmentally.”

The Scheme was so successful that another group has been scheduled in for the same arrangement of installations in January 2011.