Sun power for sheltered homes - May 2007

Angela Smith MP, the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Housing and Planning officially opened Drum Housing Associations latest eco-initiative at Siward House, one of their sheltered housing schemes in Petersfield. Drum has installed 33 solar electric panels on the roof, and these will provide electricity directly into the building, radically cutting carbon dioxide emissions and reducing annual energy bills by hundreds of pounds.

In her opening speech Angela Smith, who also has responsibility for climate change, welcomed Drum's innovative approach. She said, "I am very impressed by the system and surprised how little it affects the look of the building. Drum are to be congratulated on their initiative in the use of a 'green' alternative that is kind on the environment and also cuts the cost of electricity bills. I hope we will see more and more of this type of scheme across the country".

Siward House's panels will produce at least 3300 units of electricity, enough to run the average house. Although this is insufficient to power the entire scheme without additional power from the National Grid, it will radically reduce harmful carbon dioxide emissions by at least 1.5 tonnes each year.

A panel located near the front door enables residents to see how much electricity is being generated at any one time, the total that has been generated since it became operational and the cumulative savings in carbon dioxide emissions.  Bob Lloyd, a resident at Siward House, regularly monitors the figures. "It is a smashing idea," he said. "It is good to know that we are helping to make a difference to carbon dioxide emissions. The residents here are from a generation that was very careful to save and conserve; it was part of our upbringing. So we are all very pleased to be doing the same for the planet."

The solar panels are known as photovoltaics (PV), a technology originally developed by NASA for their space programmes. The panels take energy from the sun and feed this into the buildings power supply. A unit known as an inverter converts the electricity from DC to AC to enable the electricity to run lights and other appliances. The system can even generate income! In times of low communal electrical consumption on site, when the panels are producing excess electricity to requirements, electricity is sold back into the National Grid.

Paul Ciniglio, Drums Innovations & Environmental Manager, said, "We are delighted that the residents of Siward House were so enthusiastic about the idea of having the panels placed on the building's roof, in order to supply the communal electricity.  The project has stimulated a great deal of interest from them. The system is another step forward in the work we are doing to employ green alternatives that not only provide clean energy but also reduce running costs."
 
The Siward PV system is the latest of Drums projects designed to reduce carbon emissions and provide affordable and sustainable living environments for their residents. It is the first of a number of projects that Drum is due to unveil over the course of the summer.



ENDS

For further information please contact:
Maria Garside, Public Relations Manager on 01730 403080 or 07748 113364 email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Drum Housing Association, Drum Court, The Spain, Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 3NG  rother.radian.co.uk