A new £200,000 solar energy system has enabled a West Cumbrian training and conferencing centre to reduce its carbon footprint.
Energus, at Lillyhall, near Workington, has installed 658 solar panels on its roof – set to reduce 72 tonnes of CO2 a year, the equivalent of taking 15 petrol cars off the road.
The panels were installed by Geo Green Power and are set to reduce Energus’ energy bill by more than £4 million over the next 30 years.
Opened in 2009, the £21.5 million Energus facility is a corporate hub for skills, training, education and business support.
Energus general manager Shaun Stanger said: “We’re seeing great benefits from the system already, particularly a reduction in our carbon footprint which was the main reason behind the project. I also find it really useful to have access to an online portal where I can track generation.
“With an installation cost of just over £200,000, we’re expecting the system to have paid for itself within four years, including service and maintenance, after which the system’s costs will be negligible as the solar panels are under guarantee for 25 years.”
James Cunningham, Geo Green Power managing director, said: “The scheme is set to save around £4m over the next 30 years but it’s always more rewarding to work with businesses who are as focused on the environmental benefits as they are on the energy cost savings and that was certainly the case here.
“Modern renewable systems have become much more efficient in recent years and at the same time installation costs have reduced.
“Coupled with mounting evidence of the damage done by fossil fuels, huge increases in energy costs and the threat over supply that’s emerged from the war in Ukraine, the calculations for business have completely changed and renewables make more sense than ever.”
