Brighton and Hove City Council has announced what it calls its “largest rollout of solar PV to date” on its non-domestic public buildings.
Committing to installing 730 solar panels across buildings such as leisure centres, offices, a social care facility and a nursery, the council states that its rooftop solar will generate 350,000kWh annually.
The largest installation under the initiative saw Brighton-based AJ Taylor Electrical Contractors install 292 solar PV panels on the rooftop of the Prince Regent swimming pool. According to the council, which did not disclose the total capacity of the installation, 97% of the energy generated will be consumed by the facility. Solar Power Portal has reached out for more information.
Solar panels have recently been installed on the roofs of Moulsecoomb Community Leisure Centre, Wayfield Avenue resource centre and Roundabout nursery, with installs at Portslade Sports Centre and Hollingdean Family Hub underway and due for completion at the end of the year.
Of Brighton & Hove’s five public leisure centres, five now have solar panels. Matt Wickham, Freedom Leisure chief operating officer said: “This is a fantastic step towards supporting our broader goals of promoting energy efficiency and sustainability at our leisure centres.”
Brighton and Hove City Council said the latest solar installations are the first in its portfolio to be fitted with power optimisers, meaning each one operates independently; if one panel is faulty, it does not affect the other panels’ generation.
Councillor Tim Rowkins, Cabinet member for Net Zero and Environmental Services, said: “We’re using the roofs of our public buildings to install hundreds of solar panels that are generating efficient, low cost, renewable energy that is reducing the operational costs of the buildings.
“The installation on the roof of the Prince Regent Swimming Complex is our largest so far, which helps to decarbonise a particularly energy-intensive facility.”
The council recently published a decarbonisation pathways study, which Rowkins said will see local power generation help free up grid capacity as the council seeks “to deliver more high-impact projects around the city”.
Funding public sector solar
Brighton and Hove City Council is also developing a net zero investment project pipeline, aided by the National Wealth Fund which was formed in October from what was formerly the UK Infrastrucure Bank, and capitalised with £27.8 billion. Part of its remit is to work with councils to bring in private investment to help deliver their clean energy ambitions.
Earlier this year, the latest phase of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, which has funded over 1,000 projects since 2020, was allocated £530 million in government investment for energy efficiency upgrades on public buildings.
Solar is a major focus of the funding provision, with 84 projects receiving funding to install solar panels on public buildings.
