Lower bills, cleaner energy – solar panel offer returns to Hackney
A programme to help homeowners get high-quality solar panels for the best possible price is relaunching as part of the Council’s drive to reduce fuel poverty, decarbonise the borough’s buildings and rebuild a greener Hackney following the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 200 Hackney homeowners signed up for Solar Together London in 2019 – a group buying scheme which makes investing in solar panels more accessible and more affordable – which was the highest of the thirteen London boroughs taking part.
Hackney residents can register their interest in the relaunched scheme until 23 March 2021 and wait to receive a personal recommendation from an approved provider for solar panels, following a London-wide auction with suppliers submitting their lowest prices. This year’s programme also offers retrofit battery storage for those who have already invested in solar panels and are looking to get more from the renewable energy they generate or increase their independence from the grid.
Installing solar panels helps homeowners use energy from a sustainable source, reducing their dependency on carbon-intensive grid electricity and gas contributing to a reduction in global warming carbon dioxide and methane emissions emissions, and lowering energy bills from year one.
The hundreds of Hackney homeowners who have signed up for solar panels through Solar Together already shows the commitment our residents have to doing their bit to tackle the climate emergency.
As we accelerate our work to rebuild a greener Hackney following the pandemic, it's vital that we make decarbonising our homes as affordable and accessible as possible
That’s why we’re investing in our own Council stock, offering free insulation to private homeowners and tenants, and now relaunching Solar Together in Hackney so that even more homeowners can take advantage of lower bills and cleaner energy.
The scheme is part of the Mayor of London’s Energy for Londoners and Hackney Council’s Hackney Green Homes programmes, allowing homeowners to buy collectively with others across London and benefit from the lower prices that group-buying brings. It builds on three years of the highly successful Solar Together programme run across the UK which has delivered over 3,000 installations to date (including nearly 1,000 in London) and almost 50,000 tonnes of avoided lifetime carbon emissions.
Hackney Green Homes is the first borough-wide programme in London to offer thermal efficiency measures to privately-owned and rented homes, including cavity, loft and floor insulation.
How Solar Together works
- From 15 February: Householders can register online to become part of the group for free and without obligation.
- Pre-approved UK solar PV suppliers participate in an auction on 23 March. They are able to offer competitive pricing as the volume and geographic concentration makes it possible for them to realise greater efficiencies, which they pass on with lower prices for installations.
- After the auction, registered households will receive a personal recommendation which is specific to the details they submitted in their registration.
- If they choose to accept their recommendation, the specifics of their installation will be confirmed with a technical survey after which a date can be set for the installation of their solar PV system.
- Telephone and email helpdesks are on-hand throughout the whole process which, together with information sessions, will allow households to make an informed decision in a safe and hassle-free environment.