Installation of Cornwall’s largest solar canopy is now complete at Cornwall Council’s headquarters in Truro.
The Hub has worked on the project alongside the Council from its inception, through feasibility, to delivery of the 230-kilowatt canopy.
The scheme at New County Hall will provide renewable energy generation direct to the site, providing about one-third of the building’s energy needs, reducing annual operational costs by c.£50k and saving around 42tCO2 every year.
Following the installation of 150kW rooftop PV at New County Hall last year, the Council wanted to investigate further ways to expand solar PV across the site, which has the highest electricity consumption of all the Council’s owned and operated estate.
Hub Project Manager for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Adam Longfield, identified a solar canopy in the car park as the most appropriate solution and was able to support the scheme in the following ways:
- Identifying the scheme
- Engaging with Council and other stakeholders
- Feasibility assessments
- Supporting preparation of the business case
- Securing grid connection
- Supporting preparation of the planning application
- Creating a technical specification
- Evaluating supplier bids
- Providing ad-hoc technical support
As part of the scheme there will be additional electric vehicle charging bays added aligned to the council’s work to reduce emissions and running costs of its pool car fleet.
The solar canopy is the latest in Cornwall Council’s programme to increase the installed capacity of renewable energy across its estate, working towards their ambition to deliver 2MW of renewable energy projects per annum to 2030. The project has been funded through the Council’s £20m Renewable Energy and Low Carbon Technology Fund.
Other council solar projects which the Hub has supported in Cornwall include:
- Cornwall Airport Newquay, 165kW
- Stoke Climsland School, 30kW
- Kresen Kernow, 50kW
- South Wheal Crofty, 22kW
Cllr Martyn Alvey, Cornwall’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, said:
“This is Cornwall’s largest solar canopy and a flagship scheme in our ambitious programme to increase our renewable energy and decarbonise our council buildings. It underlines our firm commitment to tackling the climate emergency and we hope this exciting project could act as a demonstrator and blueprint for similar projects elsewhere.”
Mark Holmes, Cornwall Council’s Head of Environmental Partnerships & Climate Change said:
“The support of the Hub was invaluable in ensuring this project became a reality. From feasibility and business case development through to providing ongoing technical support, the professionalism and dedication of Adam the Hub Project Manager helped to ensure the opportunities and challenges of the developing a high-profile scheme of this nature were clearly understood and communicated, ensuring public and member support was in place to deliver the environmental and financial benefits of the scheme for Cornwall.”
David Lewis, South West Net Zero Hub Programme Manager, said:
“Congratulations to all involved in this significant decarbonisation project which represents a major investment in renewable energy generation. Cornwall’s largest solar canopy to date is now generating clean energy for the Council’s estate, and that is a testament to the hard work and persistence of the team at Cornwall Council and Adam Longfield from the Hub to get this complex project over the line.”
