Solar Made Easy Kendal Proves Popular!
Solar Made Easy Kendal was launched by Kendal Town Council, working in partnership with Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS), in August 2022 with the aim of encouraging householders to adopt renewable energy generation whilst streamlining the quoting and installation process for busy suppliers by providing them with “clusters” of households to work with. The initiative has had a fantastic response, with over 100 households registering to receive quotes from vetted local suppliers as part of the first Kendal cluster.
With energy prices on the rise and the need to reduce reliance on fossil fuels now more urgent than ever, installing solar panels is a great way to reduce your climate impact and to save on energy bills. While it may be easy to think that our Cumbrian climate is not best suited to generating electricity from the sun, today’s solar panels work well even on cloudy days. Technological advances mean that solar panels can now generate energy effectively when installed on east or west facing rooves – they aren’t just for south facing rooves! Solar panels can be paired with battery storage and/or electric car charging points, which are great ways to maximise their utility.
Installing solar panels is a significant investment, however help may be available for both owner-occupiers and private tenants via Sustainable Warmth Cumbria Grants, which aim to make homes warmer and more comfortable whilst helping to lower energy bills and carbon emissions. The Sustainable Warmth Cumbria Grants take a “fabric first” approach to energy efficiency, meaning that measures such as insulation and double glazing are prioritised to reduce energy loss and make homes warmer. If these are in place the grants may also be used to fund solar installations and other measures such as heat pumps and smart heating controls. Whether you’re planning to install solar panels or not, retrofitting for energy efficiency is a great step to take to save money and reduce carbon emissions. A wealth of information and advice is available via the CAfS website.
Registration to join the first cluster of households for Solar Made Easy Kendal has now closed so that suppliers can get to work quoting and installing. Watch this space for a second round of registration opening next in 2023! In the meantime, if you’re looking for more ways to reduce your carbon footprint and live more sustainably, the Centre for Alternative Technology has information on a range of topics available here.
Image credit : Russell / Alamy / Climate Outreach
