Bring me sunshine…Richard’s a panel show winner

A GROTTON house is one of a growing number generating electricity for the National Grid.

But Richard Darlington reckons he holds the distinction of installing the first solar panels in Saddleworth, if not across the Oldham borough.

And Richard, 86, urges more people to adopt alternative energy sources to fossil fuels.

A recently elected member of Saddleworth Parish Council and president of Emmaus Mossley, he turned to solar power soon after moving into the area 25 years ago.

“My wife (who passed away five years ago) and I were members of the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales who are very keen on alternative energy sources.

“When we lived in Cambridge we had solar thermal panels put on there and it was one of the first things we did when we moved to Saddleworth. At the time I probably cost us about £1,000.

“Then in 2003 we had the PV (photo voltaic) panels put on the roof as well.

“The solar panels purely heat the water; the PV generates electricity which goes into the National Grid

“During the summer I hardly ever have to put on the gas to heat water. It saves money but more importantly it saves the climate.

“Since we first put them up lots of people have followed suit and put them up across Oldham.

“We have got to do lots of different things to prevent climate break down but this is one small part.

“One of my big things is doing more to harness the power of our tides. We are guaranteed high and low tides, twice a day, right round the country.

“Stand at any peninsula and you see water roaring round. The power is enormous but we are not making use of it and I don’t understand it.

“We are in a unique position in this country and apparently we get some of the highest tide changes anywhere in the world. There is enormous potential.”

Richard is also an advocate of wind farms but admits not everyone in Saddleworth shares his enthusiasm. “It is the cheapest way of generating electricity and the cost of them has dropped enormously.

“But I realised there is an anti-wind farm element in Saddleworth and Oldham Council seems to be influenced by the Saddleworth crowd.”