HOMES and businesses across Winchester have been investing in rooftop solar systems as the cost of electricity remains high.

According to a new UK database, Winchester registered more than 450 new solar installations in the first five months of 2023.

Winchester Action on the Climate Crisis (WinACC) analysed local data from the database in its 2023 report on renewable energy in Winchester. The group found that local homeowners have continued to invest in rooftop solar panels despite the withdrawal of government subsidiaries in 2019.

According to the data, almost one in 10 households in the district has a registered solar system.

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WinACC chair Alex Clayton said: “It's exciting to learn that Winchester households are buying into the benefits of rooftop solar systems. They reduce dependence on expensive electricity from the national grid and increase local generation of clean electricity. We can see from last year's heat wave that climate change is having a big effect on people's lives. We are running out of time to limit the damage done by our dependence on fossil fuels.

“However, we must not be complacent, as our report shows, over 3,500 local rooftop schemes together generate only 3% of the amount of electricity currently consumed in the district. This is less than a single solar farm, such as the new development at Three Maids Hill, near Winchester. In order to meet future demand rooftop solar is only one part of the solution.”

WinACC’s report concluded that in order to remove electricity produced by harmful fossil fuels from the national grid there will need to be significant expansion of solar farms in rural districts.