COUNTY DURHAM businesses and householders are leading the rest of the North- East in the installation of solar panels, according to a Government report that places the county in the top ten per cent of English local authorities promoting green energy generation.

Since the introduction in April of the Feed-in Tariffs (Fits) which offer incentives for fitting small-scale renewables such as solar panels and wind turbines, 40 per cent of the North-East’s installations have been made in County Durham.

Other parts of the region have been urged to follow its lead.

“It is important that lessons are learnt from their success,”

said Peter Walsh, energy manager at North-East low carbon agency Renew, who was also encouraged by take-up in Northumberland.

County Durham installers such as Shildon-based Barrier Energy and Revolution Power, in Newton Aycliffe are among businesses to have been boosted by rocketing demand in the county. John Forth, managing director of Bishop Auckland’s Acis Renewable Energy, reports being snowed under by customer inquiries for solar panels, with his company recording a turnover of £117,000 in the past seven weeks.

About 30 jobs have been created by Cleaner Air Solutions of Meadowfield, which has become one of the leading suppliers of solar panels in the UK.

Rural communities in Durham, previously dependant on oil or gas tank supplies, have been at the forefront of the switch-over to solar power, but firms have also hailed Durham County Council for vigorously promoting renewable energy.

Senior low-carbon officer Ian Bloomfield was delighted to note Durham’s leading position in the Department of Energy and Climate Change report, but called on central Government to offer householders further financial incentives to offset the cost of installing solar panels that typically starts at about £10,000.

“In the previous financial year we were able to offer grants to people, but things have now tightened up ahead of the spending review,” he said.

“However, we didn’t let that hold us back.

“It’s important that customers have confidence in local installers and we have worked to establish a bedrock of accredited, quality firms in the area that will hopefully see us maintain the region’s excellent reputation.”

Users who install electricity generating photovoltaic solar panels can earn about £900 in the first year on top of a £140-a-year saving on their bills. Experts estimate that gives payback in about ten years.