Renewable Energy
Making use of renewable, solar energy is part of our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint and meeting our EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) minimum standards. Not every home has solar energy measures fitted.
Nearly 40% of MDH homes had solar PV installed in around 2011. These are financed by Anesco Mid Devon (AMD) and installed with the required permission from National Grid. If you have these solar panels, you have a variation to your tenancy agreement which gives permission for us to essentially lease the roof space to Anesco Mid Devon.
Households with Solar PV have free access to the generated electricity and this automatically happens when there is enough sun light. The agreement does not allow for the storage of electricity, ie. no battery storage. However, charging phones, mobility scooters etc is allowed. Where possible, we also connect solar PV to water heating systems. Any unused electricity is exported to the grid.
Systems are monitored daily to ensure that they are running well. This is done by Anesco Ltd. They are contracted to AMD to do this
On request, we are able to check this with Anesco Ltd and/or provide current/historic generation data on request to demonstrate the benefit of having the installation. On average even the smallest system will generate between 1,000 to 1,400kWh of electricity per year (most of this during summer but with a useful assist in spring and autumn, depending on the weather. Call us on 01884 255255 or email repairs@middevon.gov.uk
We also have around 75 properties with solar thermal installation. These are tubes on the roof, rather than panels. Rather than generating electricity, they assist with water heating.
Advice on installing solar water heating - Energy Saving Trust
It is not something tenants are able to request of us, however, if you are eligible for solar panels or solar thermal, we will get in touch with you. Our main priority over the coming years is to ensure that all of our homes meet EPC or above. In some cases, we may need to install solar PV or solar thermal to meet this.
You should not attempt to arrange to install your own solar panels to the building without prior written consent to do so. Please see your tenancy agreement for more information.
If you are struggling with the cost of heating, please visit our energy advice page and/or our residents support pages.
Air Source heat pumps make use of some of the heat already in the air outside, meaning that some of the heat (as much as 75%) is from a renewable energy source. Hundreds of our homes already benefit from air source heating. You can find more information about these systems on our heating page.