Custom Solar has entered into a new partnership with Derbyshire County Cricket Club that will see 550 solar panels installed at the 3aaa County Ground.

The Chesterfield-based renewable energy company will install the 147kw array on the roofs of the Elite Performance Centre and the 3aaa Pavilion this month as part of the overall development of the ground. The club will foot the bill for the installation but will also benefit from the current feed-in tariff rate, which could face significant cuts early next year under government proposals due to be announced this week.

Matthew Brailsford, director for Custom Solar, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working alongside Derbyshire County Cricket Club. It provides an amazing opportunity to deploy solar into an environment that will be enjoyed and utilised by people of all ages for decades to come.”

The club predicts the panels will reduce its energy costs by up to 30% per year and forms part of its efforts to make the 3aaa County Ground a more environmentally sustainable venue.

Simon Storey, chief executive of Derbyshire County Cricket Club, said: “The club are always looking to find ways we can operate more efficiently in order to increase our investment in cricket. Not only will the addition of solar panels help drastically reduce our energy bill costs, it will also modernise the ground and, as a Club in the heart of the community, reduce our carbon footprint as we drive to become an environmentally sustainable venue.”

Brailsford added: “The partnership is not just about the installation of a solar system, it shows the intentions of Custom Solar and Derbyshire to focus on the future and to provide a sustainable platform for future generations.”

This latest project from Custom Solar continues the company’s work on sports venues after completing a 9.8kWp at Chesterfield Lawn Tennis Club in September.