Haringey Council is investing £15million into solar power by installing thousands of solar panels on its buildings.

Schools, libraries, social housing and council offices, which could include the Civic Centre and River Park House, both in Wood Green, will be set up with the photovoltaic panels in a move that could double London’s current solar power capacity.

The council will plough in £8.5million of its own cash into buying panels for council buildings and rent out the rest of its rooftops to third-party providers to raise the remaining £7.5million for the scheme.

It expects to recover the money through savings on energy costs and the sale of surplus electricity back into the National Grid.

Cllr Joe Goldberg, cabinet member for finance and carbon reduction, said the project represented the council’s first big step towards creating a green economy in Haringey.

He said: “I am proud that we are a pioneering borough and are determined to take the lead on solar power – which could be a key weapon in the fight against fuel poverty, inequality and carbon emissions in Haringey.

“This project is both financially and environmentally responsible and represents a truly exciting opportunity for Haringey.”

The scheme will also create jobs and possible apprenticeship opportunities for local people through installation and maintenance work.

Haringey is looking at possibilities to install panels on all council owned buildings, which will be assessed for suitability on a case by case basis.

Sarah Cope, of Haringey’s Green party, said: “This is a very visible way of showing that the council is taking green issues seriously, but the council has to be doing other things as well – not just top show stuff.”

A council spokeswoman stressed the solar panel project was by no means a small scheme and demonstrated the council’s ongoing commitment to green issues and carbon reduction.

Solar Panels

* It costs about £12,000 to install solar panels on your home

* They will save you up to £1,000 a year in electricity

* You are likely to use 50 per cent of the electricity generated and plough the rest into the National Grid

* You can earn up to 46p per kilowatt hour of electricity exported into the National Grid

* Solar panels can last up to 30 years

* They can save up to 1.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year

Source: Hornsey Journal