Solar panels fitted to HBC will save money

Solar panels are being installed at Scaitcliffe House Council Offices, as part of the Council's drive to cut costs and energy usage. The panels are expected to save not only around 16 tonnes of CO2 each year, but will also make the Council around £60,000 over a period of twenty years, from an initial investment of £24,000.

Installation of the panels are the latest of a raft of energy saving measures at the Council including energy efficient lighting in Council offices, use of electric vans, rationalising use of printers and introduction of power management ICT software, collecting rainwater from building roofs for use in street cleaning and grounds maintenance, along with the introduction of electronic payslips and a Cycle to Work scheme.

The Council’s work to reduce its Carbon Footprint has been recognised by scooping a number of ‘Green’ Awards including the Most Sustainable Local Authority in the UK; the Energy Saving Trust’s Motorvate Awards and the Green Apple Environmental best practice award.

Council Leader, Cllr Miles Parkinson, said “As a Council, we're keen to reduce our impact on the environment wherever possible. The installation of solar panels and our other energy saving measures are part of this and the good news is that the solar panels will save not only energy, but also money in the long term.”