Posted on 17th Apr
Newark and Sherwood District Council will install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on some of its buildings as part of the Great British Spring Clean, in a step towards its goal of being carbon neutral by 2035, reports Rachel Jones.
One venue to receive solar panels is Newark Sports and Fitness Centre. The centre is to receive 436 solar panels, which are expected to generate more than 20% of the site’s total energy consumption.
The council said it will also be adding to the current solar panels at its Castle House headquarters in Newark, as well as installing panels at Dukeries Leisure Centre, Boughton; The Beacon, Newark; and Vicar Water, Clipstone.
The installation of the panels will help towards the council’s goal of reducing its cxarbon footprint after it announced a climate emergency in 2019.
Matt Finch, director of Communities and Environment at the council, said: “We are committed to delivering our Climate Emergency Strategy Action Plan, which outlines lots of ways we will improve our energy efficiency and reach carbon neutrality.
“The installation of solar PV across a number of our buildings follows extensive feasibility works to understand the costs involved, payback, carbon savings, and practicalities — and is a fantastic way to decrease our carbon footprint.”
Mark Fazzini, business development director at Absolute Solar and Wind, which is completing the installations, said the council had selected sites that are very suited to optimum solar PV usage because of the modern nature of the buildings.
The council will be recording its carbon footprint on an annual basis so that progress can be measured.
