Trust wants to turn the sun on customers

PEOPLE in Runcorn and Widnes could one day wake up in a home that is heated by the sun.

Halton Housing Trust is considering installing solar thermal systems in its properties in a bid to reduce its carbon footprint and cut energy bills for customers.

Solar panels, a high-efficiency boiler, programmer, solar energy indicator and hot water cylinder have been installed in one home in Wavertree Road, Widnes, to put the technology to the test.

The property, has been monitored throughout the last year to determine how effective solar energy could be to heat and light homes across Halton.

“We are committed to building brighter communities in Halton, but are also very aware about our responsibilities to the environment,” said the Trust’s Project Manager John Robinson.

“This system of heating results in lower bills for our customers and reduces the Trust’s carbon footprint, which has got to be a good thing.”

Solar panels fitted into the roof of the property absorb direct and indirect radiation from the sun, even on cloudy days, providing energy for the home’s boiler.

In ideal circumstances it is estimated that 75 per cent of the property’s energy would be gained from the sun. The other 25 per cent comes from the condensing boiler, which acts as a back-up and which covers periods  at certain times of the year when  demand for heating and hot water is higher.

Customers with the solar thermal system fitted in their homes can expect to save an average of £128 a year.

Installation of the system was carried out by HHT, maintenance company Sure and Vaillant Heating and took around three days to complete at a cost of £4,500.

The Trust’s Chief Executive, Nick Atkin, said: “We are extremely conscious of our carbon footprint and the responsibilities we have to reduce this in line with government targets but more importantly it being the right thing to do.

“Although there is a cost attached, this system is still very much worth investing in and is one of the most practical for domestic purposes.  We are now looking at ways that we can roll out the positive examples we have developed more widely”