Solar panels installed by Kier Stoke on the roof of Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Civic Centre have generated enough electricity to power the average home for a year – in just one month. Kier Stoke, the council’s social housing maintenance provider, fitted 198 panels onto the south and south-west facing roofs of the council’s offices in Stoke.

In just the first month since installation they have already generated 4,128kWh of electricity - latest figures from the Department for Energy and Climate Change show that the average domestic electricity consumption per house in the city is 3,638kWh.

Under the government’s Feed In Tariff (FIT) for generating zero carbon electricity, the panels have already delivered the equivalent of £1,750 in income and savings. The FIT rewards the owners of installed photovoltaic panels with regular payments for the energy generated during a 25-year period, to repay the capital cost of purchasing and maintaining the systems.

It is estimated the panels will generate 30,000kWh of energy every year and will reduce the council’s carbon dioxide emissions by 400 tonnes over their lifetime.

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Kier Building Maintenance West managing director, David Mawson, said: “As a business, Kier Stoke is committed to working with Stoke-On-Trent City Council to provide a sustainable energy future for the city and fully supports the government’s targets to reduce household carbon emissions by 29 per cent by 2020.

“Because of the depth of knowledge and expertise within Kier Stoke, we are able to help raise the quality of life in by driving down fuel bills and greatly reducing carbon dioxide emissions across the city. We plan to upskill our current workforce to ensure a sustainable future in these challenging times.”

Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, Denver Tolley, said: “The solar panels are working really well, and are already showing an excellent return. The most pleasing aspect is that the energy they are producing is completely green, so as well as saving money, they are also saving the environment – it is a win-win situation.

“We wanted to launch the panels in time for the spring and summer seasons. There has already been plenty of sun over the last month, so the amount of electricity produced has been particularly high.

“It is important that we all look at ways of becoming more energy efficient and work together to make a difference to our communities. These panels show the council is prepared to lead by example and help reduce the city’s carbon footprint.”

The panels have an anticipated lifespan of 25 years and could pay for themselves in as little as around 10 years at current electricity prices.

The solar panel scheme is the latest in a number of ways Kier Stoke is working with the authority to take significant steps to improve the city’s green credentials. Last year, it worked with energy provider E.ON to retrofit photovoltaic panels onto homes owned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council to convert sunlight into electricity. The agreement has already seen 54 council properties in Chell Heath fitted with solar panels – the first time any of the council’s 19,000-strong housing stock has been powered by such green energy. The scheme will deliver millions of pounds of investment to the city to improve the energy efficiency of homes and use green power to drive down residents’ fuel bills and help combat climate change.

(GK)