Redruth, Cornwall – Thanks to a government grant, a project to install solar panels on the roof of Miners Court, an Extra Care scheme in Redruth, has been successfully completed. The project was made possible by a grant of £468,863 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Residents of Miners Court have been eagerly watching the installation of the rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels over the past few months. The panels cover an impressive area of 1960 square metres, equivalent to 4 basketball courts or 7 tennis courts.
Ben Nevitte, who oversaw the project for Coastline Housing, explained the benefits of the solar panels: “The panels will soon be powered up when National Grid completes an infrastructure upgrade. We hope they will bring a reduction in energy bills to residents at the scheme. Residents at Miners Court have a range of support needs, often requiring higher than normal amounts of electricity, heating, and hot water to meet their medical and equipment needs.”
Grant Dymond, Surveyor from Taylor Lewis, expressed his excitement about the project: “We were delighted to be involved in this project with our long-term clients, Coastline Housing, and their partners. With a focus on sustainability, innovation, and communal collaboration, we are excited to see the positive impact this will have on both the environment and its community. The re-roofing works at Miners Court, coupled with the installation of an impressive solar array, will ensure this Extra Care scheme can operate efficiently for years to come.”
Miners Court consists of 64 self-contained flats and offers communal and community facilities. It is estimated that each flat will save £162 a year on their electricity bill and receive an export income of £148 a year from the panels. They will also benefit from a further saving of £35 per year thanks to reduced energy costs in running the communal facilities. This translates to a fantastic benefit of £22,126 a year across the scheme.
The solar panel project was completed by SunGift Solar and Coastline Housing’s own roofers. Damien Connery, Commercial Director of SunGift Solar, shared his thoughts on the partnership: “This project has been a shining example of how housing associations can smartly and efficiently deploy solar and energy storage at scale as part of a re-roofing project. SunGift Solar and Coastline Housing have worked in perfect partnership to deliver this landmark solar project, and with over £1 billion in energy efficiency upgrade funding announced last month for social housing providers, we expect projects like this to be emulated across the country.”
The installation of the solar panels is estimated to offset 41 tonnes of CO2 each year and improve the energy ratings of the flats inside.
During the project, the workforce removed 238 tonnes of clean concrete roof tiles by hand. The tiles were then transported less than a mile to a specialist construction aggregate recycling company to be crushed down, repurposed into aggregates, and reused within the construction industry. This effort saved the equivalent of over 1,300 kg of CO2, which is equal to over 300,000 charges of an average smartphone.
Lewis Hammett, from Marley, also shared his pride in working with Coastline Housing: “We’re proud to work closely with Coastline Housing on the re-roofing scheme at Miners Court. This collaborative approach allows us to deliver real project and budget efficiencies while ensuring quality and continuity throughout. At Marley, we’re committed to supporting the ongoing improvement of the UK’s social housing stock through the use of our full roof system and solar offering, and partnerships like this are key to making a lasting and meaningful impact in the lives of social housing tenants.”
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