BGS installs 1,000 solar panels at Keyworth HQ
British Geological Survey installs new solar car port array at its headquarters in Nottinghamshire
MORE than 1,000 energy-saving solar panels have been installed at the headquarters of the British Geological Survey (BGS), in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire.
The site’s new solar car port array was approved by Rushcliffe Borough Council in 2020 and follows additional work approved by the Council to install more than 1,751 solar panels on the site’s National Geological Repository – home to the largest collection of rock core samples in the UK.
The new solar panels are now in place on a 3,100 sq m area of the car port’s roof and are set to generate 589,165kWh of electricity each year, saving an estimated 305,776kg of carbon annually. They are designed to boost energy efficiency and offset an increase in electrical usage, which is required in the organization’s transition away from burning fossil fuels.
The output generated by the car port will be around 469.2kWp (kilowatts peak) and 100% of the electricity will be used on site. The car port is expected to provide a significant proportion of the energy needs for the site for at least 25 years, significantly reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
BGS accessed the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme to install its solar car ports. The work forms part of BGS’s new environmental sustainability strategy, which aims to achieve zero carbon by 2040 across three core areas of the organization: its estates, working practices, and business travel.
‘As a leading research organization, we know that the work we undertake and how we support it has an impact on the environment. We’re working very hard to understand this impact so that we can minimize our footprint and transition to a more sustainable organization,’ said BGS estates manager Daniel Crow.
‘We’re lucky to have a headquarters based in such a beautiful area of the East Midlands, so we’re very pleased to be installing the most environmentally friendly modern technologies on our site.
‘Generating our own electricity via solar energy means that, as an organization, we’ll be emitting less CO2 into the atmosphere, reducing our carbon footprint, and increasing our sustainability credentials.
‘We found the Public Sector Decarbonization Scheme easy and friendly to use and we’re now looking forward to carrying out further exciting works in our energy transition, including ground-source heating, thermal property improvement, and use of modern controls.’
BGS provides independent geoscientific data, information, and knowledge to help the UK manage its natural resources and respond to environmental change. Its work contributes to finding sustainable solutions that will help the UK to reduce its carbon footprint and safeguard the planet.
Work has already begun at the Keyworth site to increase the number of trees and shrubs, reduce grass cutting, and implement new meadow areas and orchards to encourage wildlife. Further works are planned for the coming months.
