Elmbridge Borough Council has recently installed a solar panel car port in the Civic Centre pay and display car park, just off Esher High Street. Working alongside Joju Solar, one of the UK’s leading designers and installers of solar panels, the installation commenced in May and the project was completed in June.
The roof of the car port comprises 63 solar panels sitting on top of a lightweight frame, and the V-frame design of the car port allows it to span across numerous parking bays with minimum impact on the surrounding area. The total area of the 63 panels is slightly smaller than the area of a singles tennis court.
What’s more, the electricity generated by the solar panels is fed directly back into the electrical services at the Civic Centre, which means all electricity generated is used within the building.
Joju Solar anticipates that the electricity generated annually by the solar panels will be 22,224 kWh. With the average UK household set to use around 3,000 to 3,500 kWh per year, the electrical power generated by the solar car ports would be enough to provide electricity for six houses annually. In addition, the electricity produced by the solar panels is estimated to contribute to annual savings of £6,000 of electricity costs.
Councillor David Young, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Sustainability comments: “The installation of the solar panel car port is a great step forward for us as we continue to make our way towards our goal of becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030. We look forward to monitoring the success of this first trial over the coming year and seeing the positive and beneficial impact this will have on us as well as the surrounding borough.”