October sees Midlothian Council hand over its first solar water heating houses.

The six first floor flats and six semi-detached houses at the Council’s new affordable housing development in Cuiken Terrace, Penicuik have this new system installed.

Solar water heating reduces the amount of fossil fuels each house needs to use to heat the water in their home. The system also significantly lowers carbon dioxide emissions.

Solar water heating systems work by absorbing solar energy. The energy is transferred from the solar panel to heat the water in the property’s hot water cylinder. The system provides up to 60% of an average household’s annual hot water. The remaining hot water and central heating is provided by a regular boiler. The Council is installing mixer showers instead of electric ones so that tenants can save money by the use of ‘free’ solar heated water.


Councillor Adam Montgomery, Midlothian Council Provost, said: “The incorporation of a solar water heating system in these properties is a first for Midlothian Council. Embracing this technology reduces the quantity of CO2 households produce and saves energy. The system also reduces the average household heating bill, which reduces costs for our tenants.”

Solar water heating panels are efficient even in a typical Scottish climate. They do not rely on high temperatures or direct sunlight to work. They can deliver significant energy savings even on cloudy days. That's because they work on the principle of light absorption, rather than needing heat or direct sunlight.

The properties, four-person two-bedroom flats and five-person three-bedroom houses, have been developed for Midlothian Council by its consultant Hackland and Dore Architects Ltd and its contractor Lovell Partnerships Ltd.

The cost of installation across the twelve solar houses is around £50,400, of which 30% – £15,120 – is provided by Community Energy Scotland;

The system will provide annually up to 60% of the average household’s hot water (which would otherwise have been heated by gas);

As a result the Council expects a reduction in CO2 emissions across the twelve solar houses by around 3.15 tonnes per year and energy consumption by around 18,000kWh per year (1,500kWh per year per house);

This gives tenants the opportunity to save an average of around £65 per house per year on their gas bills.

(GK)