The Solar Panels are a renewable energy technology that generates electricity from direct sunlight and also haze daylight. This innovative project will see around 1,000 installations fitted across the Borough.

The installation of these Solar Panels will help to reduce your energy costs as well as reducing carbon emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil for energy provisions. So, it’s very good for the environment, it saves you money and best of all it won’t cost you anything!

So what are the benefits?

1. 20% - 30% saving on electricity bill – that’s around £130 off your bill per year. This is enough electricity to:

• Run an ‘A’ rated fridge freezer for 4,675 hours• Use your washing machine for 374 hours• Use your tumble dryer for 267 hours• Use your electric oven for 779 hours• Run your computer for 7,791 hours• Listen to a standard radio for 18,700 hours• Watch an LCD TV (34-37inches) for 8,130 hours

2. Reduce carbon emissions by around 0.6 tonnes each year.

Stockport Homes Investing in Natural Energy

Stockport Homes have launched a multi-million pound investment to install Solar Panels on eligible customers’ roofs.

Stockport Homes Investing in Natural Energy

Repair

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Q: What will the cost be to you?

A: There are no additional charges to the customers that benefit from having Solar Panels installed on their homes.

Q: Will the Solar Panel supply all of my electricity needs?

A: No. The panels only work in the day so electricity used in the evening will still come from the National Grid. It is also dependent on how much electricity you are using in the day. On average you can expect to see between a 20% and 30% saving on your electricity bill; this will be around £130 per year. For low rise flats where there are communal areas, the Solar Panel will provide free electricity to those communal areas. This is expected to result in customers seeing a reduction in their service charges associated with electricity costs. It is key to understand how to use the system to maximise the benefits of this technology. Therefore, Stockport Homes will provide energy efficiency advice to customers as part of the installation.

Q: How long does the installation take?

A: It is expected the actual installation will take about a day or just over a day dependent on roof size and complexity. However, the scaffolding may be erected for about a week in total to allow for any necessary roof repairs and surveys.

Q: What work is involved in installing the Solar Panels?

A: As the Solar Panels are fitted to the roof the work will include erecting scaffolding to provide a safe platform for the installers to work from. There are also some internal works to neatly route some cables from the loft to your electricity meter. Customers will be consulted and informed at every point of the installation process to ensure high levels of quality and customer satisfaction.

Q: Are there any maintenance issues?

A: The systems are pretty much ‘fit and forget’ as there are no moving parts that require maintenance. It is expected that part of the system (the inverters), which will be fitted within the loft, will need replacing after about 10 years. Other than that we do not expect to carry out any other types of maintenance to the system.

For further information, please contact the Maintenance and Investment Team on:

Tel: 0161 474 4407Email: investment.response@stockport.gov.ukWeb: www.stockporthomes.org under ‘Improving your home / Solar Panels’

Questions and answers

Ref: 814/May 2011