South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA) has signed 120 houses up for an innovative renewable energy program, “Power Roofs,” which should reduce carbon emissions by about 350 tons a year. By 2012, SYHA hopes to eventually have 650 homes signed up and getting 30% of their energy needs from solar power.
The purpose of the program is to help protect residents from increases in energy prices and “reduce energy poverty.” Here’s a little bit more on expectations for Power Roofs: “Each system should produce 1,410kWh a year, generating an average annual saving of £130 per household.” (That would be $206 for us Americans.)
If you make the assumption that electricity prices will continue increasing at 6% a year, as has been occurring over the past decade, residents could save up to £2,235 ($3,546) over 10 years or £8,967 ($14,227) over 25 years, taking the UK’s new feed-in tariff program into account.
Creating local jobs, saving residents money, and helping the environment… sounds like a win-win-win for Yorkshire.
Photo Credit: Lance Cheung