Wednesday, December 11, 2024
EnergyLatestNews

South Gloucestershire installs solar

South Gloucestershire Council is set to install solar PV systems on all its schools and council buildings across the next two years.

The scheme will cover more than 50 buildings in the district and generate cheaper and carbon-free electricity.

It is expected to save more than 1.5million kwh of electricity being purchased from the national grid, and so avoid 316 tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere in the first year it is fully operational.

The cost of the panels and installation is estimated to be approximately £6million, which is expected to be delivered by locally based firms wherever possible, will be funded through borrowing, which will be repaid over the next 19 years.

In addition to all council-run schools, all other appropriate council buildings, including libraries and Sort It Centres will have panels installed.

The plans have been approved following business cases which show the benefits to the environment as well as to schools and other council operations by being able to access power more cheaply than from the grid.

The cost of energy from the grid has been subject to significant increases in the past few years, and the move will help to future-proof public buildings in South Gloucestershire as well as make a significant contribution to the council’s aim of becoming carbon neutral.

South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Climate and Nature Emergency, Cllr Louise Harris, said:

“We have all experienced the shock of the skyrocketing cost of energy in recent years. And in recent weeks we have all seen the devastating impact of increasingly powerful storms that have hit our area and the whole country.

“When the council declared a climate and nature emergency it took on a role of leadership in our communities to help play its part in protecting our environment now and for future generations.

“By embarking on this scheme to install solar panels on council buildings, we are taking concrete steps to decarbonise the energy we use; to reduce the cost of power to run our schools and services; and to protect our local and the global environment by significantly cutting the carbon released into the atmosphere.

“The business case shows that we can afford to take this action, and our experiences of the past few years and even weeks shows us that we can’t afford not to take this action.”

Image from Shutterstock

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