A solar system, claimed to be a ‘world-first’, has been installed in a housing block in Wales. The system connects all the flats to the same rooftop panels, allowing residents of Odet Court in Cardiff to save up to 50% off their energy bills.
With the new technology, each flat’s electricity demand can be met by up to 75% through solar power. Allume Energy, an Australian manufacturer, asserts that its ‘SolShare’ model is the sole technology that facilitates the sharing of solar energy from a single rooftop system by several homes in the same building.
“At a time when costs are rising, improving the energy efficiency of homes will not only help us to deal with the climate emergency but also help families through the cost of living crisis,” says Welsh Minister for Climate Change Julie James.
The pioneering project, which involves retrofitting housing blocks with a solar system that connects all the flats to the same rooftop panels, was funded by the Welsh government and carried out in partnership with social housing landlord Wales & West Housing.
This project is part of a nationwide retrofitting programme as Wales aims to achieve Net Zero by 2050. James, a spokesperson for the Welsh government, lauded the project as “an exciting first of its kind” for the country, showcasing the type of innovative thinking needed in the housing sector.
The eco-innovation could potentially benefit housing blocks across Europe as Allume Energy highlights that there are 300 million Europeans residing in low and medium-rise apartment buildings with roof space for solar.
Joanna Davoile, executive director (assets) of Wales & West Housing, has praised the communal solar system, calling it a “far fairer option” because it will allow tenants to share the energy produced by the building to lower their electricity expenses.
The SolShare system, according to Allume Energy, increased solar utilization by over 25% and will save developers money on hardware because they wouldn’t have needed to construct 24 different sets of panels, inverters, and batteries for each of the 24 apartments at Odet Court.
s the U.K. strives for Net Zero emissions by 2050, James called the new development “an exciting first-of-its-kind project for Wales and exactly the type of thinking we need to see within the housing sector.”