On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the Redruth Extra Care scheme reached a successful completion with the installation of solar panels on the roof of Miners Court, thanks to a government grant. The project was made possible with a grant of £468,863 from the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Good Growth Programme, which is managed by Cornwall Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Miners Court, a Coastline Housing project, is a complex of 64 self-contained flats with communal and community facilities. The installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, covering an area of 1960 square metres, is expected to bring a reduction in energy bills for the residents and contribute to a more sustainable environment. Residents have been eagerly watching the installation process, which took several months to complete.
Ben Nevitte, who oversaw the project at Coastline Housing, explains the potential benefits for the residents, “The panels will soon be powered up when National Grid completes an infrastructure upgrade, and then we hope they will bring a reduction in energy bills to residents at the scheme. Residents at Miners Court have a range of support needs, so they often use a higher than normal amount of electricity, heating, and hot water to meet their medical and equipment needs.”
Grant Dymond, Surveyor from Taylor Lewis, expressed his delight in being involved in the project with Coastline Housing and their partners. He emphasized the focus on sustainability, innovation, and communal collaboration in the project, and the positive impact it will have on both the environment and the community. The partnership between Taylor Lewis and Coastline Housing has been ongoing, and they are excited to see the long-term benefits of the solar panels and the re-roofing works at Miners Court.
It is estimated that the residents in each of the 64 flats will save £162 a year on their electricity bill and receive an additional export income of £148 a year from the panels. The installation of the panels will also result in a further saving of £35 per year per flat, thanks to reduced energy costs in running the communal facilities. This translates to an impressive benefit of £22,126 per year across the scheme.
The project was carried out by SunGift Solar and Coastline Housing’s own roofers. Damien Connery, Commercial Director of SunGift Solar, highlighted the efficiency and smart deployment of solar and energy storage at scale as part of a re-roofing project. He praised the partnership between SunGift Solar and Coastline Housing and expects similar projects to be replicated across the country, especially with the recent announcement of over £1 billion in energy efficiency upgrade funding for social housing providers.
In addition to the financial benefits, the installation of the solar panels is estimated to offset 41 tonnes of C02 each year across the site and improve the energy ratings of the flats.
During the project, the workforce manually removed 238 tonnes of clean concrete roof tiles, which were all locally transported less than a mile to a specialist construction aggregate recycling company. These tiles were crushed down, repurposed into aggregates, and reused within the construction industry, saving the equivalent of over 1,300 kg of C02. This is equivalent to over 300,000 charges of an average smart phone.
Lewis Hammett, from Marley, expressed their pride in working closely with Coastline Housing on the reroofing scheme at Miners Court. He emphasized the importance of collaborative partnerships in delivering project and budget efficiencies while ensuring quality and continuity. Marley is committed to supporting the ongoing improvement of the UK’s social housing stock through their full roof system and solar offering, and partnerships like this are crucial in making a lasting and meaningful impact in the lives of social housing tenants.