First council homes see solar and battery retrofit installations through UPOWA partnership with Winchester City Council
UPOWA and Winchester City Council have begun rolling out solar PV and battery retrofit installations across council homes, with the first properties now successfully upgraded.
The programme is designed to help tenants reduce energy bills while improving energy efficiency and creating warmer, lower-carbon homes.
A further 50 homes are expected to receive upgrades by spring as part of the council’s wider housing decarbonisation and retrofit strategy.
UPOWA has partnered with Winchester City Council to deliver a new solar and battery retrofit programme, with the first council homes now upgraded as part of an initiative designed to reduce emissions and help tenants lower their energy bills.
The scheme forms part of a wider retrofit programme aiming to reduce the energy emissions of council homes while helping tenants cut their household energy bills.
By spring this year, the council aims to have another 50 homes converted to solar energy, working with Whiteley-based solar energy company UPOWA to install the technology, which includes both photovoltaic (PV) panels and battery storage systems.
The scheme covers the costs of maintaining the technology by sharing the savings – once the solar panels have been in place for a year, tenants will benefit from 50% of the savings made, and the other 50% will fund maintenance costs.
One council tenant who recently had her home upgraded through the scheme was Sylvia Robinson, 91, of Kings Worthy.
“It was really quite interesting watching the panels go up. I thought they’d be heavy but they didn’t look very heavy at all! The project manager, all the time he kept me completely informed which was great – especially at my age. I was born in 1935, and my age group, we’ve never heard of solar panels. They’ve only just gone up but the project manager said to me ‘your bills will go down you know’ - I don’t have to do anything for it. We’re doing our bit for the environment aren’t we.”
“We want to help tenants cut bills at a time when costs are high and make sure they’re kept involved and informed throughout the project too – so I was really pleased to hear Mrs Robinson’s experience has been so positive. Together with our programme of retrofitting and insulating council homes, this work to roll out solar technology will have a real impact – not only for tenants’ costs but also for the environment, helping to bring down carbon emissions and making our district greener, faster.”
“We’re proud to be partnering with Winchester City Council to deliver this solar and battery retrofit programme for local households. This initiative is designed to put tenants first. By providing a fully managed, end-to-end service, from survey and design through to installation and ongoing monitoring, we’re helping the Council future-proof its housing stock, improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy costs. This programme is a practical step towards cutting carbon emissions while creating warmer, more resilient homes. We’re excited to support Winchester’s wider decarbonisation ambitions and demonstrate how high-quality retrofit delivery can generate lasting benefits for both residents and the wider community.”
Left to Right: Founder and Sales Director at UPOWA James Bull, Leader of Winchester City Council Cllr Martin Tod, Sylvia Robinson, Cabinet Member for Good Homes Cllr Mark Reach, and UPOWA Head of Brand & Marketing Jonny Brady