A TEESSIDE housing company is pioneering solar energy to help families meet their heating and lighting bills.

Coast and Country Housing has installed the photovoltaic system to nine blocks of flats in Redcar in a trial that will evaluate the efficiency of solar generation in a northern climate.

Since the installation of the 78 panels on the three-storey blocks of flats last August, electricity worth £1,000 has been generated and fed into the National Grid.

When the full year of generation is completed this summer, the company hopes to be able to use some of the revenue generated from the sale of the electricity to be able to reduce the bills to tenants for lighting in the communal areas of the blocks of flats, such as stairs and corridors.

Mark Freeman, an energy advisor with Coast and Country Housing, said: "This is a demonstration project to evaluate the technological and cost efficiency of a renewable energy system.

"Each block has produced an average of 3,700kw of power since last August, and is exceeding the forecast of 4,600kw over the full year."

The installation and maintenance of the photovoltaic system required electricians Steve Hinson and Darryl Bayliss to retrain and gain qualifications.

Mr Hinson said: "The system is widely used in the South of England and on the Continent, and we are hoping that it proves a success this far north.

"It works on daylight rather than sunshine, and our early results are very encouraging.

"An external display board on each block of flats allows the public to se how much electricity is being generated at any time, how much has been generated to date and the total carbon dioxide gas reduction to date."

The power system has been developed in Redcar by a partnership of Coast and Country Housing, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, gas company Transco, the Department of Trade and Industry, Renew Tees Valley, Jarvic Accommodation Services and Community Energy Solutions.