United Utilities has installed solar arrays across four of its rooftops at the Fleetwood Water Treatment Works (WTW).

Contractor Forrest installed the solar panels, which total 1.32MW of capacity, on four commercial buildings at the site. Forrest estimates that the solar arrays will generate over 1.1 million kWh of energy every year – all of which will be consumed directly by the site.

Neil Carroll, energy manager at United Utilities, said: “For a business like ours, solar energy just makes sense. Our treatment facilities consume a significant amount of energy and, after piloting solar power at our site in Lostock, we’ve begun to roll out solar installations across other plants to help us meet our target of halving our 2006 carbon emissions levels by 2035.”

The £1.5 million project forms part of United Utilities' ongoing drive to reduce its carbon footprint and builds on the company’s 160kWp array at its Lostock Water Treatment Works.