Huge new rooftop array at the Arium, a council-run nursery and garden centre, expected to cut energy consumption by 39%
A huge new rooftop array of solar photovoltaic panels has been installed at the Arium, a council-run nursery and garden centre in Whinmoor, in Leeds. The panels will, between them, generated an estimated 119,294 kWh of clean electricity each year, or some 39% of the centre’s current consumption, significantly cutting running costs.
Solar panels at the Arium in Leeds, photo courtesy of Leeds City Council
The Arium is the largest nursery in the UK to be run by a local authority. Most of the plants sold are grown in the 19,000 m2 glasshouses on the premises.
With installation of the solar panels completed, the Arium will now continue with its next phase of decarbonisation, replacing gas boilers on the site with air source heat pumps.
More than 30 sites owned by Leeds City Council, and a similar number of schools in the region, are already partly powered by solar panels, following installations as part of the council’s plan to reduce energy use and carbon emissions across its estates.
They’re part of a wider initiative of corporate solar schemes supported by the government’s Great British Energy and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) Mayoral Renewables Fund.
In December, a report to the city council’s executive board spelled out the impact of these measures so far. Since 2005, Leeds has seen a drop in levels of emissions from 6.3m to 3.9m equivalent tonnes of carbon – a drop of 38%. Over the same period, the council’s own carbon footprint has fallen by 65%.
Cr Mohammed Rafique, Executive member for Climate, Energy, Environment and Green Space at Leeds City Council, says: ‘This funding is a major step forward in our mission to become the UK’s first net zero city. By investing in clean, efficient technologies, we’re not only reducing emissions and energy bills but also creating healthier, more sustainable public spaces for our communities.’
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, adds: ‘From severe floods in 2015 to drought last year, people in West Yorkshire know all too well the devastating consequences of climate change and that we must act now. Investing in renewable energy will help our region become greener, more resilient and energy efficient.
‘As we work towards a net zero region by 2038, we are committed to working with GB Energy and our local partners to ensure public buildings across West Yorkshire are fit for the future.’
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