Thursday 6 February 2020

Bristol Council greenlights battery storage project at City Hall

A new battery storage unit is to be installed at City Hall after Bristol City Council cabinet members gave the green light for the project.

Bristol Energy, which powers all of the council’s sites, will install the battery in the basement at City Hall later this year, allowing the council to generate savings by charging it when energy prices are low before discharging when they are at their peak.

The project will also enable the council to reduce its carbon emissions as the grid is often most carbon intensive during peak hours.

The energy supplier estimates the battery’s combined income and savings will be around £33,000 a year, with the council reducing its electricity bills by £16,000 a year.

The project is part of the council’s City Leap initiative, an ambitious project to deliver a smart and carbon neutral city by 2030.

Councillor Kye Dudd, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Transport, Energy and New Green Deal, said: “This is another first for Bristol City Council. An exciting project that will use new technology to significantly cut emissions from our main office building and ensure that the council remains on track to be a carbon neutral organisation by 2025.”

The battery will be bought by the council and managed by Bristol Energy in partnership with Upside Energy.