Eco-friendly housing at the former Maine Road home of Manchester City Football Club is kicking off a brighter future for Manchester residents.
Manchester's Jacob Eco-Energy has installed one of the biggest solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in the city at the Maine Place residential development in Moss Side.
A 49.6 kW Solar PV system of 207 panels has been installed on Maine Place's landmark curved roof. This will generate 952,000 kWh of renewable electricity over the next 25 years, enough to make 9.52 million cups of tea (almost four cups for every resident of Greater Manchester).
The green power will be generated even on cloudy days, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 500 tonnes over a 25 year period. This equates to the environmental benefit of a 107 acre pine forest (about the size of 70 football pitches), or taking 1500 cars off the road.
The renewable technology, supported by the Government’s Feed in Tariff incentive, is also expected to deliver a financial return of £434,170 over 25 years.
Maine Place has been developed by Prospect (GB) Ltd, which has opened the first phase of the 330-home development, together with a new community school. A range of houses and apartments are available for sale, combining the advantages of renewable solar power with advanced eco-friendly construction. The contemporary homes also have excellent 'Secure by Design' security features.
Maurice Palfreyman of Prospect (GB) said: "Our residents have some of the greenest homes in the city thanks to our ambitious solar scheme. We are very proud of our sustainable housing development and the contribution we are making to reducing Manchester's carbon footprint."
Chris Franks, Managing Director of Jacob Eco Energy said: “This was a major installation, which required our specialist knowledge of construction and roofing structures to carry out the installation. As a 'City' fan it was a real privilege to be involved in bringing new life to the site of the former stadium."
Jacob Eco Energy (www.jacobecoenergy.co.uk) was the first business in Salford and central Manchester to become an official Microgeneration Certification Scheme approved installer of solar PV technology.
Jacob Eco Energy are exhibiting at the GreenBuild Expo in Manchester (9-10 May). Visit stand F5 for an opportunity to win a solar powered radio
For further information contact Jacob Eco Energy Ltd on 0161 793 8536, info@jacobecoenergy.co.uk, www.jacobecoenergy.co.uk