The eco-worrier in me has gone into overdrive – every fossil fuel exacerbating pun intended - at Rishi Sunak’s reckless attempt to destroy the UK’s Green targets.
Like many of you, I’m appalled by his attempt to weaponise climate with the sole aim of trying to hold onto his premiership.
The question is, while we have to put up with Sunak’s dangerous government, positively abetting climate change and helping move the world into uncharted territory, what can we, as Camden residents, do about it?
Meet Ned Collier! Ned is a home-owning resident of Spencer Rise, Dartmouth Park. Ned has an idea to encourage other homeowners to join together to decarbonise his street.
Ned says: “I want to help fix the climate crisis by getting solar and batteries onto as many properties as I can in my street.”
I asked Ian Grant of Power Up North London (powerupnorthlondon.org) how Ned could practically achieve this.
He said: “Households can get solar panels for half the price by clubbing together along a street. Bulk buying is the order of the day, be it panels, inverters or batteries. And know-how builds up in the community – an invaluable resource”.
Ian continued: “There’s something holistic about the whole street acting as a power source.
"We should lobby Parliament to enable streets to become power stations in their own right, producing and selling electricity.
"And there are innovative software models being developed, taking excess energy produced from one dwelling and providing power to another, which could be applied at a street level.”
Thinking imaginatively, street residents could set up a street battery and use it as a communal charging point.
In time, with the savings made from electricity bills, residents could make donations for a solar system for a local school - which will enhance the solar supply of the locality - particularly beneficial if the street decides to become a collective power supplier, when the legislation allows.”
If you are a homeowner, dear reader, I hope this has given you some inspiration.
As I write this, the sun is shining down onto my solar panels, which in turn are providing free energy to charge my electric car. I know how lucky I am to be able to afford this, but It’s a financial choice I’ve made.
If you would like to get advice how to get decarbonising your street, get in touch.
- Debbie Bourne is an Think&DoCamden activator and author of The High-Heeled Gardener (Amazon and Owl Bookshop).
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