The six sites of 50kWp each, installed across reservoir roofs and land at treatment sites, will produce power almost solely for on-site for pumping and treating water.

All six new solar sites, which were installed by Solarcentury, were in response to rising electricity prices.

The amount of electricity generated each year is expected to be 42,500 units creating an income from the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) as well as saving the organisation at least £4,000 a year in electricity costs.

Portsmouth Water’s managing director, Nick Roadnight, said: “It is important as a user of energy we look at all the potential options to reduce the amount of energy we have to take from the national grid and at the same time look to reduce our carbon footprint without of course placing any risk on our ability to supply water to our customers.

“The installation of solar panels on our sites achieves all of these objectives and with around a 25 years life span it helps the company have a more sustainable approach to energy use.”

Solarcentury chief executive, Derry Newman, added: “It makes good sense to put unused industrial space to work generating clean energy to treat waste water rather than creating more CO2 via conventional energy.”

Luke Walsh

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