A project that installed solar panels on South Lakeland District Council (SLDC)’s main office has resulted in significantly reduced carbon emissions.
Over the past 12 months the panels have produced enough electricity to offset the council’s carbon emissions by over 10 tonnes and reduce the authority’s electricity bill by £4,500.
The panels, installed in July 2015 on the roof of South Lakeland House, cost £60,000 but are predicted to pay for themselves during their 20 year lifespan.
SLDC also received £4,500 through the government’s Feed-in Tariff scheme which is designed to encourage the use of renewable and low carbon electricity.
It’s estimated that over the 20 year product life of the panels, the council will save around £120,000 and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 300 tonnes.
Leader of SLDC, Councillor Giles Archibald, said: “This initiative has been a great success.
“We as a council are committed to green energy and with this scheme reducing our energy bills, and set to make significant savings in the future, it is even more impressive.”
The project considered all council-owned buildings for panel installation, but only the roof of South Lakeland House was large enough to accommodate a 50W solar panel.
