In an effort to cut the cost of its annual bills and to reduce their carbon output, a community centre in Bourne, Lincolnshire has installed solar panels on the roof of the premises.
A total saving of £500 a year is expected to be made following the installation, with an income of £1,500 being generated through the feed in tariff, by feeding power back into the national grid.
Locally-based company Eco Building Products from Market Deeping supplied the 40 photovoltaic panels for the building. The panels are even able to generate usable power on cloudy days.
Annually, the scheme is expected to generate up to 8,000 kWH of electricity, with the centre using approximately 80 per cent of the power, and will reduce approximately six tonnes of carbon dioxide yearly.
Ian Greenfield of Eco Building Products said: “The installation of PV panels at Elsea Park means that the community centre can generate significant savings in energy use over time, not simply in cash terms but also in terms of pressure on the environment.”
A number of public facilities across the country are taking advantage of the reduction in energy bills that solar panels are able to provide. Leisure centres, schools, universities and council owned buildings are just some examples.
Following the introduction of the Green Deal this week, it is now feasible for households to invest in energy saving measures.
The Green Deal allows people to access subsidies and generous loans from the government in order to install a number of different energy saving features to a home.
These loans are paid back through future energy bills, at rates that can be less than the savings made on energy bills from the environmentally friendly methods.
Installing a solar water heater could be an additional energy saving idea. The majority of your household’s water can be heated on a yearly basis using the system, with a great cost reduction to your energy bills.