Newark and Sherwood District Council continues work towards achieving its carbon net zero target as the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels starts at the Newark Beacon.
The Newark Beacon is a modern business centre owned and managed by the District Council and offers a range of business accommodation facilities including shared office space, meeting and conference rooms, hot desks, and an onsite café.
Anyone in need can hire the site, whether it is an established company or a new business owner just starting out. It will be the second Council-owned office space to be fitted with the solar PV panels, in addition to the District Council’s main office at Castle House in Newark.
The 148 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels being fitted are estimated to generate over 40,000 kWh which equates to 17% of the Council’s annual consumption for the site and will save 12 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Several factors contribute to the large amount of energy needed to keep larger office spaces running. These include basic office necessities such as air conditioning or heating, lighting, and computers, and office buildings are one of the five largest building stock sectors in energy consumption, requiring 27.6GWh/year in the UK and 68% of total non-domestic electricity use.
Councillor Keith Melton, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “It is great to see our decarbonisation plans well underway at a number of our sites. We do not take our commitment to achieving our carbon neutral goals lightly, and it is encouraging to see huge steps such as this being taken, alongside the other sustainability projects we are working on.
“We can all do our bit to be more energy efficient, whether it is in our offices, our homes, or schools, but large-scale investments like this have a vital role to play in creating a greener future for our community.”
