ANOTHER 1,000 solar panels are set to be installed on council-owned homes in Crow country.

South Cambridgeshire District Council has struck a new deal with its partner, Savills Solar, which will see a new batch of panels installed over the next six months. Recently the council fitted its 1,000th panel, and hopes to double this number by the end of the year.

Financing the project comes from private funders, who receive the “feed-in tariff” for every kilowatt of electricity generated. Despite the Government making cuts to this tariff, the scheme remains cost-neutral for the district council.

Cllr Mark Howell, the district council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “To have 2,000 solar panels installed across 79 of our 105 villages will be fantastic news for people trying to make household budgets stretch further than ever and for the district’s green credentials.

“With each system generating an average 3.5kWh, we’ll be producing over 7000kWh of electricity per year. This is a great step forward for us and is testament to the dedication of our officers and partner Savills Solar who, yet again, have found a way to push forward despite the Government’s feed-in tariff cuts last year which threatened the viability of the whole project.”

Once a home is fitted with solar panels, tenants immediately reap the benefit of free electricity during the day and it is expected that in excess of £150 a year will be saved on fuel bills as well as cutting the carbon footprint.

Tenants whose homes are suitable to accommodate the panels will be contacted by the council.