Work to install the largest single-roof local authority-owned solar panel system in the UK on the roof of the new Northacre Resource Recovery Centre (RRC) in Westbury has been completed.
The 1,248 solar panels – covering an area equivalent to more than seven tennis courts – will generate over 280,500 units (kWh) of electricity each year. This electricity, all of which will be consumed on site at Northacre RRC, will help to power the mechanical biological treatment process used to turn household waste into solid recovered fuel (SRF) in place of it being sent to landfill.
The benefits of the solar panel system will be annual bill savings and income from the feed-in tariff of more than £55,000, as well as annual CO2 emission reductions of 148 tonnes. Over 20 years the benefits are expected to exceed £1.5 million, and avoid CO2 emissions of more than 2,720 tonnes.
Crucially for a plant such as Northacre RRC with a high energy requirement, the unit price of electricity produced by the panels over the system’s 25-year life is significantly less than the current rate for grid supplied electricity. Toby Sturgis, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for waste said, “As a council we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to our energy requirements as well as cutting costs where possible so more can be spent on frontline services. This is an ideal opportunity to use renewable energy to power a site which uses innovative technology and I’m delighted that we are leading the way in doing this.”
David Snape, commercial manager at Solarsense, the company responsible for the design and installation of the system said, “The Northacre RRC project is a great example of how solar PV can significantly reduce consumption and deliver long-term cost savings for industrial processes.
“As the developer of the largest single-roof local authority owned solar panel installation in the UK, Wiltshire Council is making a very clear long-term commitment to carbon reduction and sustainability, as well as a very sound investment which will benefit the county.”
Mike Webster, group director for Hills Waste Solutions, the company that owns and operates the Northacre RRC under a 25-year contract with Wiltshire Council said, “Investing in energy security is an important step and we are pleased to have been involved in the procurement process with the council.
“The next step for Hills will be to look at securing more local solutions for the SRF, ideally to generate energy which could be utilised in Wiltshire. At present the SRF is sent to energy from waste facilities in other northern European countries.”
