New solar panels mark latest milestone as Cotswold District Council drives to make buildings more sustainable

The Cirencester office is the latest building owned by the District Council to receive an energy revamp as the local authority strives to reduce the carbon impact of its estate and services by using climate friendly technology wherever feasible. The effort is part of the Council’s commitment to use green energy and become a net zero council as part of its response to the climate emergency.

The new solar system also includes a 130kWh battery storage unit which will increase the council’s ability to use renewable energy beyond when the sun is shining and allow the Council to charge up overnight on cheap off-peak electricity from the grid.

The power generated by the panels is largely expected to meet, and at times exceed, the building’s electricity needs during the summer, allowing the Council to sell any excess energy back to the grid. This income will help offset any topping-up of the electricity required from the grid during the cooler months, when the panels will generate less power. 

The panels are likely to save the District Council in the region of £42,000 per year once installed. The cost of the installation is likely to be recovered in just over five years.  

Typically, panels should last 25 to 30 years, giving taxpayers a healthy return on the Council’s investment. 

Councillor Mike McKeown, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Sustainability at Cotswold District Council, said: “Climate change is a global challenge, but its impacts are felt right here in the Cotswolds, whether that’s from more frequent incidents of flooding or changes to our native wildlife. 

“Last year we launched Cotswold Home Solar to help residents explore and take up the benefits of solar power, so it is fantastic that we are now able to harness green technology for our Trinity Road site, helping us to make council operations more sustainable and bring significant savings on the day-to-day running cost of this building.  

“To minimise the environmental impacts of the entire project and to invest in our local economy, we were keen for companies based locally to bid for the work and we’re delighted that two Gloucestershire suppliers are now supporting us with this exciting next step to decarbonise more of our buildings.” 

The new panels are predicted to generate 141,000kWh of power annually – producing a carbon-saving of approximately 29 tonnes CO2e. This reduction is equivalent to eliminating the carbon emissions from driving 77,000 miles in a diesel car, a distance roughly the same as driving around the world three times.

The Trinity Road installation, which incorporates a mix of the commonly used ‘hook and rail’ system, whereby solar panels are anchored externally to the existing roof, and integrated in-roof panels which replace existing roof tiles and provide additional strength, is expected to be completed by early August. 

The installation is being undertaken by Quedgeley firm Ecovision, while the mounting system for the integrated panels is being supplied by Sun-Fixings based in Bourton-on-the-Water. 

Cotswold District Council will remain open to residents and visitors while the works are taking place.  

In the last few years, Cotswold District Council has introduced a wealth of carbon reduction measures across several of its buildings. These measures include installing a low-carbon air source heat pump in the Council Chamber at the Trinity Road offices and at the Corinium Museum archive facility near Northleach.  

Improvements to enhance the energy performance of Council buildings have led to low-carbon heating systems and roof-top solar panels being installed at the Bourton-on-the-Water and Cirencester leisure centres. Additionally, the lights at the Moreton Area Centre have been replaced with low-energy LED alternatives. 

To find out more about what the District Council is doing to tackle the climate emergency, visit: https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/environment/climate-action/ 

To find out more about Cotswold Home Solar, visit: https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/environment/climate-action/cotswold-home-solar/