subject: Solar Panels all over the rooftops of Norwich [print this page] Solar Panels all over the rooftops of Norwich
With the massive cuts facing local authorities at the minute, most people would expect Norwich City Council's budget to be a reduction in services across the board. While this is the case for most of the budget, there is one project that has made headlines and that is the installation of thousands of Solar Panels.
Norwich City Council, being a local authority that has not privatized its housing stock, has plenty of roof space to install solar panels. Not to mention the vast roof space on City hall.
In April 2010 the then Labour government launched a scheme called the feed-in-tariffs. This is based on the hugely successful German model. The feed-in-tariffs pay people who invest in solar panels for electricity they create and use. This rate is a very attractive 41.3p per KwH, which is about 4-5 times the market rate. In addition to it being a generate rate, this money is tax free and guaranteed for 25 years.
When the Coalition Government was formed last May the decided to temporarily continue the feed-in-tariffs and added to them by giving local authorities the permission to be part of the scheme. This has resulted in Councils like Norfolk and Cornwall looking at setting up their own energy services companies (ECSOs). For City Councils we have seen the likes of Birmingham commit to installing solar panels onto all of their housing stock.
Here in Norwich the administration at City hall, partly influenced by a large number of Green Councilors, has agreed to install solar panels on to 5000 houses. These would all be part of their housing stock.
In addition to adding solar panels to their housing stock, the council intend to put solar panels on City hall and other council owned buildings.
However, time is of the essence. On the 7th of February 2011, the minster for Energy and climate change, Chris Huhne, called a review of the feed-in-tariffs to see if this was the best way to kick-start the low carbon economy.
If City Council is quick they can ensure they make the get the tariff for their investment of solar panels in Norwich.
