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Local authorities ‘light the way on solar’
Local councils are leading the way on solar power by building modern solar homes, developing ‘subsidy-free’ solar farms, master planning ‘smart’ neighbourhoods and using solar to save money and provide stable sources of revenue, says a new report from the Solar Trade Association (STA).
Local authorities are in a unique position to make the economics of solar projects attractive, given exceptional terms of borrowing, long project timescales, secure off-takers for the power generated and easy access to council-owned land and roof space, says the report: Leading lights.
Among the highlights from the collection of 26 case studies are a subsidy-free 7.4 MW solar farm with 4 MW battery storage by West Sussex Country Council, with other councils such as Hounslow set to follow. Meanwhile, Perth & Kinross Council has just opened a business park connected to a solar farm using a private wire.
Councils all over the UK are delivering onsite solar in new homes and buildings, adds the STA. Plymouth City Council has developed Bickleigh Down Eco Village, a development of net zero emissions homes, while Milton Keynes is looking to encourage battery storage in new developments.
Moving on, Salix Finance is funding a solar school with help from Calderdale Council, with payback in eight years, while an ambitious programme for 50 solar schools continues in West Sussex. Last, Portsmouth City Council has used innovative tendering schemes to beat cost pressures on rooftop solar and install nearly 5 MW of solar over 300 buildings.
STA Chief Executive Chris Hewett said: ‘Leadership on solar in the UK today comes from local councils, and increasingly from regional government. We’ve been impressed by the level of innovation and political leadership being demonstrated by some councils. Our message to councils is: don’t wait on national government; there is a lot you can do today with solar and the UK solar industry wants to work with you.’
The report goes on to make ten recommendations to local authorities to make solar work. These include higher building standards, use of Salix Finance, going for high volume tenders and larger schemes to improve economics, granting solar business rate relief to state schools and community energy groups, and including solar and storage alongside strategies for electric vehicles.
The top ten local authorities by investment have collectively invested £80mn in solar, says the STA, though there is a striking national variation in the take-up of solar power. Peterborough tops the league tables with the highest concentration – 11% of its homes have solar, while only 0.1% do in Kensington – a 100-fold difference.
