Dorset council has benefitted from energy cost savings of roughly £54,000 per annum since installing solar panels at three of their highway depots.
The panels were installed at Dorset’s Charminster, Ferndown and Wareham depots in 2022 as part of the council’s energy saving programme, backed by £19m funding from the Government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
The council has reported a notable reduction in the highway team’s carbon emissions due to the solar panels, which have generated ‘enough energy to power the equivalent of 77 average-size homes a year’ since their installation.
Cllr Jon Andrews commented: ‘This renewable energy, which costs nothing to generate at the three sites, is used to charge our equipment and growing electric vehicle fleet, and help power our buildings.
‘We are committed to helping build a greener, more sustainable future for our county and it is fantastic to see the positive impact these solar panels are having on our carbon footprint and the council’s energy bills.’
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