Energise Barnsley has reiterated its commitment to deploying solar despite having to suspend its council house rollout programme in the wake of cuts to the feed-in tariff (FiT). A statement issued to Solar Power Portal this morning confirmed that while the project is “unviable under current conditions”, the community benefit scheme intends to keep a watching brief on costs associated with deployment. The scheme still intends to deploy solar to help reduce fuel poverty once it becomes viable and councillor Jenny Platts, Barnsley Council cabinet spokesperson for communities, revealed that the project is hopeful of launching a battery storage trial “very soon”. In August last year Barnsley Council outlined ambitions to install solar on as many as 5,000 council houses and local buildings under a new scheme dubbed ‘Energise Barnsley’. More than £16 million in funding had been set aside, with surplus income generated via feed-in tariff payments used to support community projects in the area. While the project has suspended future installs, it did manage to fit solar on more than 300 council houses which will benefit from free electricity, and around 90 other public buildings will still receive installations due to them being pre-accredited under the old rate.
Energise Barnsley
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