A SCHEME to bring solar power to residents' roofs has been welcomed by councillors in a bid to address the climate emergency.
Didcot town councillors agreed to support a scheme that aims to encourage more Didcot residents to bring solar power to their roofs and helps fund green community projects.
“Solar Streets” is a community and local council partnership that brings quality low cost solar pv installations to whole communities.
In Didcot, the partners will be Sustainable Didcot, The Green Group and IDDEA, a solar provider, established in 2008.
This spring and summer residents will be able to get quality solar panels for their house or business at discounted prices, helping to address the Climate Emergency, as well as helping their local community, because a donation to a community fund is given on every installation.
The discounts and community benefits come from economies of scale when ten or more properties are fitted with solar pv panels as one project.
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In a Didcot Town Council meeting, councillors were informed that an average household taking advantage of this scheme will not only save on their electricity bills but will save one tonne of carbon per year going into the atmosphere.
The community will also benefit from the solar panels with community funding.
For every domestic solar installation, the project will pay £50 into a local community fund and for businesses £100 will got into that fund. The money will be used to help fund other green projects in Didcot.
Councillor Celia Wilson, who moved the motion of support, said: “I’m proud and delighted we, Didcot Town Council, will be supporting this scheme.
“It shows that we are serious about our commitment to combat Climate Emergency and perhaps will encourage other sorts of climate-friendly activity in the town and in local villages.
“Most of all, experience so far shows that Solar Streets is most successful when green groups and councils work together.”
Councillor Denise Macdonald, who did not take part in the vote because she is a volunteer with Sustainable Didcot was delighted at the result.
She said: “Solar Streets started in Frome in 2019 and was such a great success, (70 systems installed and the community fund used to pay for half of the panels on the Youth Club), that IDDEA decided to repeat the process.
“They now have 12 live schemes across Southern England, with another four coming onboard in the next couple of months, including Didcot, and have saved over 250 tonnes of carbon so far.”
Phil Mousley, Co-Chair of Sustainable Didcot also welcomed the scheme.
He said: “Sustainable Didcot carry out projects which enable Didcot residents to live more sustainably, spread awareness about looking after ecosystems, and strengthen community connections.
“We feel Solar streets is a project which covers all of these aspects, and we are very excited to see it arrive in Didcot.”
The official launch event of the scheme will be over Zoom on April 8 at 7.30pm. To sign-up type bit.ly/DidcotSolarStreets into your browser.
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