A solar panel scheme in Yorkshire has become the UK's largest

The ambition of the scheme, which has just attracted its 120th home, is to use solar power for 30 per cent of residents’ electricity by 2012.

Solarcentury is working with the association to install the solar panels. Each system is expected to produce 1,410kWh a year, generating an average annual saving of £130 per household.

Craig Jackson of SYHA's LiveGreen team said: "Solar power is a fantastic way to upgrade our existing building stock, as we're effectively being paid to do it with the Feed-In Tariff and it's helping to significantly reduce energy costs for our tenants. I urge housing associations to look at the long term investment prospects of this clean technology, the reasons go beyond the environmental and social - they're now economic. The technology's very versatile too, we're fitting solar electric roof tiles and Sunstations to many of our properties."

Derry Newman, the CEO of Solarcentury said: “We are delighted to be working with SYHA and it's great that the revenue is going back into wider benefits for the tenants and creating local jobs, and no doubt many more than 600 homes will be going solar in South Yorkshire Housing Association Homes in the months ahead.”