Even listed buildings can go green

For many people putting solar panels on a small family home may seem complicated with lots of paperwork.

But it is nothing compared to the problems Mr Scirard Lancelyn Green faced when he wanted to go green with his 50-room home, three tenanted flats and four cottages with 450 acres of farmland.

In the end he put 40 panels on an outbuilding from where he has run his business for the last 42 years, Lancelyn Lighting Ltd. He had another 20 panels installed on one of the cottages.

Because Poulton Hall is very historic – his family have lived there since 1093AD – he needed to get listed building consent and planning permission.

Also he had to have three systems because four kilowatts is the maximum output per meter in the house to gain the maximum tariff.

It was also a challenge for Ron Fox, of Noreus Ltd in Stafford, who put in two of the systems and managed to site the inverter in a hay loft and lay an underground cable to take the power to the house so as not to intrude on the garden.

“I am very pleased with the results,” said Mr Lancelyn Green. “It took a lot of work but it was very worthwhile as I am getting a nine per cent return on my investment.”

The 62-year-old businessman and his wife Caroline, who have two grown-up sons, certainly take green issues seriously.

They have an Economy 7 electricity metre which uses overnight the solar power generated during the day.

The couple have also had a wood pellet boiler installed in an outbuilding and now they are planning to have a solar thermal unit put in to produce cheaper hot water.

For those who want to see modern technology in an historic location Poulton Hall, at Bebington, near Port Sunlight village on the Wirral, is a member of the Historic Houses Association with guided tours on certain dates during the year.

The hall, which was the setting for the film Longford, is renowned its 1650  belfry, a cobbled courtyard with a well, a cobbled stable and coach yard with brewhouse and a barn with minstrels gallery plus a 1750 clock tower.

There are also two extensive walled gardens containing contemporary sculptures and works of art which are open to the public under the National Gardens Scheme.