South Somerset District Council has cut its costs by a massive £26,000 in one year thanks to installing photovoltaic panels on four of its buildings.
Since installation of the first photovoltaic system in November 2011, South Somerset District Council has generated 77,862kWh of power, made £26,677.87 in revenue and saved over 42.1 tonnes of CO2.
Performance to date shows that the panels have generated output at 97.84% of the original design expectation during the period from installation due to bad weather. Systems are continually monitored on a daily basis to ensure that any faults are quickly responded to.
Electricity generating photovoltaic panels have been installed on roof tops and in fields all over the south west since the introduction of the feed in tariffs two years ago. In South Somerset a higher than average number of industrial, commercial and agricultural buildings have installations. Currently, these are generating around 1% of South Somerset’s total electrical demand over the course of a year. This compares with 1.1% in sunnier Cornwall.
Cllr Henry Hobhouse, portfolio holder for Property and Climate Change said, “The photovoltaic panels are a fantastic way to save the tax payers money and by generating £26,000 in one year, it shows how the panels really do work to help save money. It also shows the public our focus to deliver campaigns and projects that help householders and businesses, including the council, to cut energy use and adapt to climate change, as stated in Our Council Plan 2012-15.”