Workers with electrical qualifications could be employed to install solar panels as part of a new green housing scheme in Birmingham.

Birmingham City Council has confirmed that as many as 40 council houses in the area are to be retrofitted with environmentally-friendly home improvements as part of the Green New Deal pilot scheme.

The initiative will see homes fitted with solar energy devices, as well as being retrofitted with improved insulation, moves which will help homeowners to save money and protect the environment.

In addition, it will also create and protect jobs for those employed by green home improvement firms in the area.

Councillor John Lines, cabinet member for housing, said: "I am delighted my tenants will be a part of this pilot project, which will help the environment, drive down tenants' domestic bills and meet our targets to drastically cut CO2 emission by 2026."

Earlier this month, the Federation of Master Builders stated that demand for workers with electrical qualifications will increase in the coming months due to increased demand for sustainable retrofitting.

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