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We’re bringing back a popular scheme to help residents generate clean, local, renewable energy to power their home.
Solar Together is an innovative bulk-buying scheme where the collective bargaining power of many local households means high quality solar photovoltaic (PV) panels and batteries, and their installation, can be purchased at a very competitive price.
We’re working with our partners the West of England Combined Authority and independent group-buying collective iChoosr on the second round of this scheme.
The first round took place in 2021 and resulted in 3,000 solar panels being installed at properties across North Somerset.
Customers reported their top reasons for joining the scheme included:
- it being a hassle-free process
- having a trustworthy pre-approved contractor
- high quality panels and installation
- a more affordable price compared to buying directly from an installer.
We’re committed to making North Somerset a thriving and sustainable place to live by tackling the climate emergency and a key component of this is to improve access to renewable energy.
The more households that participate, the better the price we can secure.
If you already have solar panels installed, you can also register to have battery storage added to your existing set-up to maximise the benefits.
This second round of Solar Together is also open to small businesses and community groups.
Registration is free, with no obligation to buy. Find out more on our website or call 0800 014 8851.
Net zero business grants now available
Grants of up to £30,000 are available to North Somerset businesses to install renewables and energy efficiency measures.
The North Somerset Council Net Zero Business Grants Programme is available to community interest companies and eligible small and medium sized (SMEs) ones with a registered trading address within North Somerset.
There is a two-step application process, with the first being a free carbon survey.
These are available until the end of September so apply online to get the ball rolling.
Once all surveys have been completed and reviewed, businesses will be informed of the final step of the application process in October.
Ultra-low energy homes coming to Nailsea
Ultra-low energy homes built to rigorous energy efficient design standards will soon start to take shape in Nailsea.
Fifty-two Passivhaus homes will be built on council-owned land south of The Uplands, after a build lease agreement was exchanged last month between us and the developer Stonewood Homes.
Building work at the scheme, which will be marketed as Elm Grove, will start soon.
A show home is planned to open next spring and the first homes available for occupation by the end of next year. It’s expected to be fully complete by the end of 2025.
It’s our first such scheme and Stonewood Homes say it is the largest mixed tenure Passivhaus new housing scheme in the south west of England.
The development will be a flagship for high quality, sustainable housing and contributes to our ambitions of tackling the climate emergency and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Features include:
- all 52 homes will be Passivhaus certified, the highest standard of energy efficiency, meaning lower carbon and lower energy bills
- solar panels and electric vehicle charging points in all homes
- all homes will be at least 10 per cent bigger than required by National Space Standards
- 20 homes (40 per cent) will meet local demand for affordable housing, including rented and shared ownership, to be managed by Alliance Homes
- 17 adaptable or accessible homes to provide for people with mobility difficulties, or for those who develop them during their lifetimes
- a higher than usual proportion of two-bedroom homes, as well as eight bungalows and features designed to enable home-working and/or downsizing.
The project has been supported by a £557,000 grant from the government’s Local Authority Accelerated Construction fund, administered by Homes England, about £128,000 in Homes England capacity funding, and a £481,000 grant from the One Public Estate Land Release Fund for site infrastructure.
This is the second major residential project that we’ve progressed as part of our development strategy.
The first is Winterstoke Gate at Locking Parklands, Weston-super-Mare, where 425 net zero homes are being created.