Hundreds of homes in Hackney are to get discounted electricity from solar panels under a new £2m scheme approved by the council.

The project was commissioned in partnership with Hackney Light and Power, the council’s energy services, and Emergent, a local energy specialist. 

Mete Coban, cabinet member for climate change pioneered the project, which will see solar panels installed on the roofs of more than 500 council homes around the borough.

Coban told Eastlondonlines the council is currently carrying out final surveys before they can confirm which estates will be part of the programme and when the project will begin.

The project involves an instalment of 4,000 solar panels, which will generate 1MW of energy across the estates. 

Coban said the project will offer “discounted energy to over 500 homes” and create high-quality local jobs.

The installation of the panels will have no cost to tenants or leaseholders on the estates, and the first wave of solar panels will be installed on buildings with the easiest instalment conditions. It is unlikely that any work is needed inside people’s homes.

Hackney Council cannot yet confirm how much the discounted electricity will be, but Coban said it will “benefit residents in council homes by enabling them to buy cheap, clean energy direct from their rooftop.”

The company Emergent is behind the solution which enables electricity generated by solar panels to be supplied to residents at a lower price than the National Grid. 

Coban wrote on Twitter the installation of the solar panels will reduce the borough’s reliance on fossil fuels.