The West Sussex Record Office in Chichester is the latest County Council building to switch to clean electricity to reduce its carbon footprint.
From this month the building, which houses some of the county’s most important historical artefacts, will be powered by renewable electricity from 174 roof-mounted solar panels.
The solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which is around fifteen times the size of a domestic PV setup, will generate more than 60 MWh of zero carbon electricity each year and prevent 14 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
The system will bring additional generation capacity at a time when the County Council is already producing more clean electricity than it consumes in delivering its core activities, excluding schools.
The Record Office in Orchard St, Chichester, is an ideal location for solar panels because it has a high and constant energy demand from the climate control systems needed to preserve historical items.
This means that most of the energy generated by the solar panels will be used to run the building, reducing the need for more costly and carbon intensive electricity from the grid. The system will reduce annual energy costs by around £9,000, and this figure will rise over time as grid electricity prices increases.
Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change said: “Generating renewable electricity to power our buildings is a key part of achieving our aim to be a carbon neutral authority by 2030. This project is another example of how organisations such as ours can lead by example and operate in a more environmentally sustainable way.”
The Record Office installation has been funded through the County Council’s Salix interest-free loan recycling fund. The building joins a growing list of County Council sites, including the County Hall campus (49kWp), Durban House (Bognor Regis) (98kWp), Crawley Library (46kWp) and an additional 55kWp installed across the County Council's corporate estate.
The County Council has also developed solar farms at Tangmere and Westhampnett near Chichester and has an ongoing programme to install solar panels and battery storage at schools to help them reduce their energy costs and carbon emissions.
Sussex specialist domestic abuse courts introduced
Appeal to reunite owners with suspected stolen silverware
Plants to spend £26million on West Sussex County Council Computer System
Two men jailed in Crawley murder investigation
Those in Sussex with learning disabilities at risk of heart disease
WANTED: Connor Davis, 29, from Hayling Island
Police investigating serious collision in Three Bridges
South Downs Design Awards Back
Portsmouth's EV Charge Boost
AI Powered Speed Cameras Launched
On Air