Rays of sunshine have been piercing the winter gloom for two Sussex neighbours.
Kevin Fry and John Barker, of Old Shoreham Road, Hove, have had solar panels installed on the roofs of their adjacent homes to heat the household hot water.
Thermal Energy Direct, of Crowborough, developed the panels which link homes to sunshine energy all year round.
Kevin, managing director of a cab company, said: "John and I had talked for several years about introducing an environ-mentally-friendly water system. Nobody has complained about the look of our panels because they are not at all obtrusive." The heat is generated by the sun's infra-red rays, absorbed by the solar panels and channelled into a vacuum chamber. The power then heats a copper tube through which the water passes.
Managing director of Thermal Energy Direct Geoff Fox said: "Our Solar Tracking panels at Old Shoreham Road can prevent 30 tonnes of carbon dioxide from polluting the atmosphere and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, which are destroying our environment. The system costs about £2,000, which can be seen as an investment because, once installed, you have solar power for life."
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