Council installs solar panels in net zero bid

A council has installed solar panels at one of its offices as part of a bid to reach net zero emissions.

Panels fitted to Cotswold District Council’s Trinity Road base in Cirencester are expected to save the authority about £42,000 per year.

The council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and has since installed a range of energy-saving technology.

Councillor Mike McKeown 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."

The authority said the power generated by the panels is largely expected to meet, and at times exceed, the building’s electricity needs during the summer.

The new panels are predicted to generate 141,000kWh of power annually – producing a carbon saving of approximately 29 tonnes of greenhouse gases.

It is likely to take five years to recover the cost of the installation.

Mr McKeown said: “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."

Last year, the council launched Cotswold Home Solar to help residents find suitable solar options for their homes.

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.