Access to local investment funding has enabled Cornwall based housing providers to access financial and sustainability benefits, leading to the use of Marley’s full roof system with integrated solar panels.
Charitable social housing provider, Coastline Housing, based in Redruth, Cornwall, is committed to tackling ongoing housing challenges for the local population.
With over 5,000 properties in the region, Coastline Housing provides access to quality social housing, as well as shared ownership and rent to buy schemes that support residents and create home buying opportunities in the community.
Part of Coastline Housing’s commitment is to ensure that the social housing developments under its control are well maintained and, where possible, improved for the benefit of residents. It was with this ethos that the company embarked upon an ambitious retrofit roofing project for one of its key developments, Miners Court in Redruth. Miners Court is home to 64 individual flats, which support the health and wellbeing of older residents who may also require additional support.
Tackling cost of living
Conscious of the impact of the ongoing cost of living crisis on its residents, the Coastline Housing team – spearheaded by Head of Repairs & Maintenance, Ben Nevitte – assessed how they could best keep Miners Court in excellent condition and fit for the future.
With energy prices continuing to be a major concern for many residents, Ben wanted to investigate the feasibility of installing solar PV to serve all 64 flats and the communal spaces at Miners Court. If possible, this would not only deliver low-cost sustainable energy for residents but also unlock the potential for Coastline Housing to sell surplus energy back to the grid via the Smart Export Guarantee. This financial gain would see a reduction in energy costs, with savings being passed back to residents in the form of lower service charges.
Partnerships
Thanks to a long-standing relationship with roof systems manufacturer, Marley, the two organisations collaborated on a feasibility scheme to help specify the final roofing design.
With aesthetics just as important as performance, Coastline Housing required an integrated full roofing system, including solar PV. Marley’s SolarTile® can be seamlessly integrated with any existing tiles on a roofscape, including concrete, clay or slate, interlocking or plain, machine or hand-made, making it an attractive and simple specification choice. And, unlike previous bolt-on solar PV systems, SolarTile® addresses common concerns around visual impact, the integrity of the roofline and long-term durability.
Ben comments: “After reviewing various systems, it’s clear Marley offered the best solution. The integration of the solar panel with the Edgemere roof tiles looks great, the system was straightforward to install by MCS accredited SunGift Solar, and the full roof solution is backed by a 15-year guarantee, which provided added assurance for us.
“The ability to source the entire renewables package from Marley, including inverters, battery storage and even its proven fire barrier system, Roof Defence, made the whole specification process as simple as possible.”
Financial benefit for residents
And the real-life benefits for residents are already being realised. Using the solar generated energy, alongside the onsite energy storage capability, the install predicted to deliver a 22.5% saving in the communal energy costs at Miners Court. This translates into estimated cost savings of around £346 per annum for each resident, as the energy cost element of their service charge is reduced.
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