A local council in Gloucestershire wants to invest £269,000 in two new solar panel systems as part of its vision to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.
Cotswold District Council approved plans this week to install a comprehensive solar panel and battery storage solution at its offices in Cirencester.
Civic chiefs gave the renewable energy proposals the green light after concluding that it would significantly cut running costs and reduce the premises’ climate impact.
The latter goal is fundamental as the council strives to become a net zero operation by the end of the decade.
They were also encouraged by the substantial return on investment (ROI) solar panels can deliver in the long term.
Cotswold District Council will now proceed with plans to install roof-mounted PV solar panels at its offices during the coming months.
Solar plans given go-ahead after building evaluation
Deputy leader Mike Evemy said the approval for the solar panel installation in Gloucestershire had been long overdue.
“I know it’s been the aspiration for many members of the council for a number of years to put solar panels on the roof of this building,” Evemy noted.
He added that an evaluation of the building’s future had temporarily halted its plans for a solar-powered future.
The council is now armed with the knowledge that outdated “glass elements” on the roof, which had been causing leaks, can be replaced.
The six-figure solar project will soon begin in earnest as the Cotswold District dips into a £500,000 fund for environmental projects.
The main bulk of the work will take place at the offices on Trinty Road, though another tenanted council-owned site in close proximity will be equipped with solar for the first time too.
Cotswold District Council will now join the legions of homes and businesses in Gloucestershire benefitting from free, green energy.
Solar panel installs in the region are surging, which is a trend evident across the UK.
Data released earlier this year showed the number of homeowners installing pv solar soared to a seven-year high in Q1 2023.
