HAMPSHIRE homeowners can now join a group-buying scheme to install solar panels.

This comes as part of the county council’s commitment to act on climate change and is one of three energy initiatives to reduce carbon.

The Authority has partnered with iChoosr Ltd to bring the Solar Together Hampshire to homeowners and non-domestic small and medium-sized enterprises.

Cllr Jan Warwick who is a former Winchester city councillor said: “The aim of establishing Solar Together Hampshire is to make sure residents feel confident they are paying the right price for a high-quality solar photovoltaic (PV) installation from pre-vetted installers.

“Helping people who are interested in installing solar panels on their homes to save on their energy bills, increase their independence from the grid and reduce their carbon emissions will boost local renewable energy generation in Hampshire, contributing to our targets of being carbon neutral by 2050."

Residents can now register and those who already have solar panels installed can apply for battery storage to maximise the benefits of their system.

Cllr Rob Humby said: “Hampshire’s Climate Change Strategy has been developed using a robust evidence-based approach to ensure we are focussing on the right areas and topics. In Hampshire, we know that around 24% of total carbon emissions comes from domestic property, so the more we can help people reduce this, the better.”