December 19, 2011 12.43 pm This story is over 146 months old

Elderly council home first to get solar panels

Solar power: Broomhill sheltered housing scheme is first council property to have solar panels fitted.

An elderly council home in Birchwood is the first City of Lincoln Council-owned building to have solar panels installed in the city.

Eleven panels, which are capable of generating around 2KWH of electricity, were fitted at the Broomhill sheltered housing scheme in just one day.

This is part of the City Council’s Lincoln Green campaign, which aims to reduce the city’s carbon footprint.

The electricity generated will provide some free power for the building, which already has an air source heat pump providing heating for the building and hot water, supported by a solar thermal panel.

The building will also benefit from the national Feed in Tariff (FIT) scheme, where energy providers pay back money to the panel owners for the electricity generated over the next twenty years.

City Councillor Fay Smith said this is the first of three solar PV schemes set to reduce bills and the carbon footprint of the Broomhill complex.

Kevin Bowring, the council’s Investment Manager, is happy with the speed at which contractors Kier installed the panels.

He said: “Once the scaffold had been erected the work was completed in a single day with minimal disruption to the residents.

“The solar PV panels work using daylight, rather than sun rays, and have been installed on the south facing side to get the best from them.

“We’re now seeking contractors for the other two complexes that will benefit from solar PV panels, Tom Ward Court and Lenton Green, and will go ahead with those in the new year.”

Source: City of Lincoln Council