Around 67,000 square metres of rooftops on public buildings should soon be covered in solar panels.

The panels would generate the same amount of energy as that consumed by around 1,500 families, the Resources Ministry said in a statement yesterday.

So far, around 30 government buildings have been fitted with the panels, including ministries and schools, and it is expected that another 62 buildings in 30 sites will be equipped with the panels through a call for tenders.

This was one of a series of government schemes aimed at giving incentives to people to invest in alternative energy devices, the ministry said.

Over the past two years, around 6,700 Maltese and Gozitan families have used some €9 million of government aid and invested in solar heaters, photovoltaic cells, double glazing and roof insulation.

Moreover, 2,000 families applied for the government subsidies for solar panels in a recent scheme offered by the Malta Resources Authority, which, if put together, would cover six football fields, the ministry said. These panels would generate around one million euro worth of electricity a year.

In a separate scheme, 41,000 families were given a subsidy to buy new energy-saving household appliances. Also, the government kept its electoral promise to distribute one million free energy-saving bulbs to 130,000 families at a cost of €4 million.

All schemes helped reduce electricity generated by the power station by an estimated €7 million worth a year, reducing emissions and saving money on fuel, it said.