11:10am Friday 19th March 2010
By James Calnan
ECO-FRIENDLY solar panels will be installed on more than 100 blocks of flats in Colchester.
Colchester Council is spending nearly £30,000 on 112 small panels to help power communal TV aerials at council blocks and sheltered homes.
It is the first local authority in the country to install solar panels on its houses to power the digital switchover, which happens in Colchester next year.
The switchover, from analogue to digital-only signals, will vastly increase the number of channels available from the current five.
Beverley Oxford, councillor responsible for neighbourhoods, said 2,449 homes would benefit from the solar panels.
She added: “We know television can be a really useful source of news and information for our residents, especially for those who live on their own.
“So, it is important we enable access to digital channels, while also considering the environmental impact.”
The panels are being installed instead of a normal power supply on each block of flats where the signal received by the aerial needs a boost.
Sunlight is converted to electricity to power the booster so all residents get a strong signal.
Power is stored in a battery, allowing it to work overnight or when the Sun is not shining.
Janice Bootle, 52, of Chant Court, St John’s Road, said she was in favour of the council’s innovative plans.
She added: “We think it’s brilliant. It’s good to be green and it’s not costing us any more in electricity.
“It’s just a little, tiny panel – it’s not monstrous.”
Scottish specialist Campbell and Kennedy is being paid £29,640 – about £265 per panel – to install the environmentally-friendly technology.
“Considerable savings” on electricity are expected, but there are no estimates available as how much those savings will be. Tom Kennedy, from Campbell and Kennedy, said: “We believe Colchester is the first local authority to use the technology like this.
“It is very innovative, and there are real savings for residents and the local authority.”
Matt Armstrong, asset manager at Colchester Borough Homes, which manages the council’s homes, added: “We are completely committed to helping Colchester achieve its carbon reduction targets.”
Anyone who wants to find out more about the solar panels should call 01206 282514.
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