Date published: 2024-09-26 | Category: Climate Emergency, Delivering for local residents, Energy at Home, energy efficiency, Tackling the climate and ecological emergency
Residents and local businesses are being offered the opportunity to take part in a group buying scheme to invest in solar panels and battery storage to save money and cut their carbon emissions.
Bath & North East Somerset Council is participating in Phase 3 of the Solar Together West of England scheme that is delivered with the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and their partner iChoosr, independent experts in group-buying.
The scheme offers an easy way to invest in solar panels, battery storage and electric vehicle (EV) charge points enabling residents to produce their own energy and maximise how much of it they can use at home, reducing their dependence on electricity from the grid.
More than 1,500 B&NES households registered their interest in Phase 2 of the scheme and 290 accepted a quote for installation.
Councillor Sarah Warren, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Sustainable Travel said: “The Solar Together group buying initiative has proved extremely popular with B&NES property owners as it enables them to benefit from lower-cost solar panel installations by pooling demand to secure competitive prices. One of the key priorities to achieve our aim of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 is a rapid and large-scale increase in local renewable energy generation and those property owners who take part will be able to make the switch to renewable energy while supporting that ambition.”
To register for the scheme, residents must either own their own property or have permission from the landlord to install solar panels. Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) with a roof that could take up to 25 panels can also register for the scheme.
Registration is free. Property owners provide details about their roof size and orientation and approved solar installers will submit bids for the work. The most competitive offer wins and property owners will be sent costs and specifications for their system, but there is no obligation to proceed to installation. If owners accept, the installer will arrange a survey of the property roof and set an installation date. The aim is to complete all installations within six months of an offer being accepted.
You can find more information about how the scheme works on the council’s Energy at Home website.
Solar panel installations are considered ‘permitted development’ and will generally not need planning permission, but if a property is in a Conservation Area or is a Listed Building you can find advice on the Planning pages of the council website or email development_management@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 394 041.
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