Over the last few months, the NEA Technical team has been busy delivering a new project aimed at helping residents to increase their self-consumption of solar PV. PV is often a little understood technology among householders, and because of this, energy bills are often higher than they need to be. The project will deliver a combination of education, support, and providing some small measures to aid residents in maximising the benefit of the free electricity from the system when its available. The project is funded by the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme and is in partnership with Gentoo in Sunderland, WDH in Wakefield and the London Boroughs of Camden and Waltham Forest.
NEA has produced a series of advice materials on solar PV, including an advice leaflet, a video and more extensive information on solar PV which are all on the project website at https://www.nea.org.uk/advice/solarpv/
In January, the advice leaflet was posted to 7,000 households with solar PV in Sunderland, Wakefield and London. We are also supporting residents through online advice clinics and 1:1 support by phone and email. Later this year we will also be providing some households with small measures and will evaluate how beneficial householders found them in reducing their energy bills.
NEA’s Training and Technical teams have collaborated to develop a series of exciting new supported E-learning modules, including an E-learning module entitled: Solar PV and domestic battery storage. As part of this project, we are able to offer some free places to people who support residents with PV, including community energy advisors.
To apply for a place on this course, which is certified as providing 6 hours of CPD. Please email your details ASAP to technical@nea.org.uk. Places will be allocated to eligible people on a first come first served basis, and the module should be completed before the end of March 2021.