City council solar panels project now under way
AN ambitious project installing thousands of solar panels on council buildings across Newport has taken its first step.
Newport council is working with community organisation Egni Co-op to help the authority in its aim to become a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030.
Following a detailed feasibility study – with support from the Welsh Government Energy Service, Sustainable Communities Wales and the Wales Co-operative Centre – a plan has been drawn up to install 6,000 solar panels across 21 sites at no cost to the council.
Schools, a council depot and care homes have so far been identified and, once installed, the solar panels will generate 1,973,000 units of clean renewable electricity per year.
Work has recently been completed at Parklands and Blaen-Y-Pant Residential Care homes, where 129 solar panels have been installed across both sites.
Most of the electricity generated will be used on site, reducing the city council’s carbon emissions by 348 tonnes per year.
Some electricity will also be exported onto the grid for use in the city.
Councillor Deb Davies, cabinet member for sustainable development, said: “The council is determined to take a lead on tackling the climate crisis, and by working with Engi Co-op in the coming months we will achieve a 20-fold increase in the amount of renewable energy installed on our buildings.
“This is a big step towards our ambition of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.”
Egni Co-op, wwhich funds and manages PV installations in Wales, was set up by Awel Aman Tawe (AAT), a community energy charity which has been operating for 20 years.
The solar panels in Newport have been funded by a loan from the Development Bank of Wales and Egni’s ongoing co-op share offer, which has raised £1.4m to date.
It is also promoting a specialist education programme highlighting the benefits and use of solar panels, renewable energy and the business model of cooperatives.
The company is part of an EU project to support co-op entrepreneurship in schools which starts in April this year.
It will be working with Newport council in this project and use the materials produced as part of its education pack in the city’s schools.
Egni Co-op will also be providing specific teaching/lesson support which ties in with the new Welsh curriculum via a dedicated energy officer who will be visiting schools.