In March 2012 the council completed its first large-scale programme to install solar panels on council owned houses and non-domestic buildings.
Capital funding was allocated for the project so that tenants could benefit from solar electricity while the costs would be recovered through Government’s feed-in tariff scheme. The subsidy would be paid back over 25 years.
No Sunset for SolarBourne
The Government’s decision to significantly reduce the level of subsidy meant that SolarBourne had to be a much shorter programme with installations on fewer houses than we had originally intended. In addition, because of the change in the feed-in-tariff, it was necessary to make sure that panels were installed on optimum roofs (those that got the most amount of sunlight with as little shading as possible).
Although it is disappointing more could nto be achieved the council remains committed to providing residents with access to renewable energy and building on what has already been achieved, and is currently exploring ways we can realise this.
Overall SolarBourne enabled over 280 buildings to have solar panels by 2nd March 2012 which is a positive achievement for a short programme in challenging circumstances. It is also helping people save money on their energy bills, and the reducing the town's carbon footprint.
Find Out More - Frequently Asked Questions
To find out more about SolarBourne, download our frequently asked questions in PDF format below, which cover:
You are at: www.eastbourne.gov.uk/solar
