Waltham Forest Council has turned its car park into a solar power plant thanks to the installation of a solar carport system from SolarTech Ltd.
After exploring the possibility of installing a solar array on the roof of its office but abandoning the idea due to space constraints, the Council researched installing a carport system.
SolarTech identified the Council staff car park adjacent to Juniper House in Walthamstow as the perfect location for a carport PV system. The bespoke mono and dual wing cantilever carports not only provide cover for 17 cars, but also generates some 21,600kWh of electricity every year. The 27kWp array will dramatically reduce the Council’s carbon footprint by over 11 tonnes a year.
“This is a highly innovative and cost effective solution, which has made the most of our available space to produce renewable energy on-site, whilst helping reduce CO2 emissions, and demonstrating the Council’s ongoing commitment to a greener future through investment in renewable technologies,” said Trevor Brown, Project Coordinator for Waltham Forest Council.
“Our ‘Sola-Port’ solar car ports are an excellent investment for local Councils, or anywhere that offers extensive car parking facilities, as they supply free solar electricity, as well as earning additional income from the Government’s feed-in tariff scheme, which can then be reinvested into projects for the benefit of the community,” said Shaun Taylor, Managing Director of SolarTech.