Forrest will install PV on 1,850 homes in Salford after agreeing terms with City West Housing Trust.
The deal, which is being financed by Macquarie, will be installed with no up front fee while tenants are expected to reduce their energy bills by as much as 58%, according to Forrest.
“The cost of solar projects for housing associations can be prohibitive,” said Paul McCarren, energy director, Forrest. “Our partnership with Macquarie is opening the gateway for our clients to offer solar and reduce energy costs for residents for free.
“We’ve built up a strong working relationship with City West, aside from this energy project we’re also delivering refurbishment works at its College Croft development in Eccles and delivering new build works to its Fairhurst Drive and Mount Skip sites in Little Hulton,” added McCarren.
An additional 2,000 homes could be added in the future. Forrest will also service the panels for the next 20 years.
“Alleviating fuel poverty is one of our main priorities,” said Garry Vaughan, head of supply chain and sustainability at City West Housing Trust.
“We’ve already made significant in-roads across our stock by tackling a ‘fabric first’ approach, initially completing cavity and loft insulation, new windows and doors and new heating systems, followed by renewable technologies such as solar PV in order to further reduce the cost of powering our customers’ homes,” said Vaughan.