Two pioneering Suffolk councils have completed a £2.8million carbon-cutting solar investment to slash their leisure centres’ reliance on the grid by close to half.
More than 100 council car parking spaces in Sudbury and Stowmarket have been covered with carports with roofs of solar panels to help power and reduce carbon emissions at the centres.
Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are among the UK’s first rural local authorities to trial the technology.
Seventy of the solar carports are located at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre in Stowmarket, providing up to almost 24 per cent of the centre’s annual electricity demand.
The remaining 40 are located at Kingfisher Leisure Centre in Sudbury, providing over 16% of the centre’s annual electricity demand.
Each site also includes battery storage so excess energy produced during sunnier periods can be saved for later, as well as eight electric vehicle charging points, including two rapid chargers.
The works cost £1.4m - funded by £800k match funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Getting Building Fund topped up by a combined £650k from the councils - and is part of a wider £2.8m overall investment in solar across the councils’ four leisure centres.
Jessica Fleming, Mid Suffolk cabinet member for environment, said: “Completing our solar carports marks a significant milestone in a multi-million-pound investment to reduce the carbon footprint at our leisure centres.
“We hope that by being among the first rural UK councils to trial this technology in our districts, we will encourage others to follow suit. And, if it’s successful, we’ll look at how we might be able to roll out this technology at more of our sites, making best use of space, over coming years."
Jane Gould, Babergh cabinet member for climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable transport, said: “Installing this infrastructure not only demonstrates our forward-looking approach for the town, but also our commitment to tackling climate change and our emissions.
“Our district, and the wider county, are a natural fit for solar, enjoying more sun hours than the rest of the UK. So, by leading the way in driving clean growth and technology, we hope others will be inspired and learn from our example.”
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