Torfaen could spend £500k on solar power (From South Wales Argus)

Torfaen could spend £500k on solar power

3:20pm Saturday 10th December 2011 in News

TORFAEN council could spend up to £550,000 on fitting solar panels at leisure centres, schools and other venues in the borough.

The council is looking into installing solar photo voltaic panels, which convert sunlight into electricity, at five key sites to save money and reduce its carbon footprint.

It has proposed five sites which could be fitted with the panels including Cwmbran Stadium, Pontypool Active Living Centre, the New Inn depot, Greenmeadow Community Farm and New Inn Primary School.

This is part of the council's programme to invest in renewable energy and the money for the five sites would come from prudential borrowing if approved by its chief financial officer.

A report, which will be discussed at a full council meeting on Tuesday, says New Inn Primary School has been included to act as an example of a scheme for schools and will be subject to approval by the Board of Governors.

The report also explains how detailed designs and applications to the electricity distribution network operator have already been completed for Cwmbran Stadium and PALC and according to the council have found to be "financially viable".

The cost of installing the solar pv panels at these two venues has been quoted at £198,722 to the council by a contractor and would save the council £24,900 per year.

The report said this would be enough to cover borrowing for the installation and the extra income of £1,668 generated from the panels would go back into the council's community services budget.

The report adds that Cwmbran Stadium and Pontypool Active Living Centre currently represent around 15 percent of the council's overall carbon footprint which would expect to reduce by two percent through the installation of the panels and save around 887 tonnes of carbon emissions over the 25-year life of the scheme.

Planning applications for these two sites have been submitted and structural surveys commissioned.

Assessments of the other three sites are expected to be completed by today.