Wednesday 9 September 2020

Hackney unveils new solar scheme at watersports centre

Solar panels have been installed at the watersports and conference venue West Reservoir Centre, through a new solar panel scheme launched by Hackney Council.

The facility will now be able to generate all the power it needs from the solar panels on its roof and any excess power generated will be fed back into the grid.

The initiative supports the local authority's commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions across all its functions by 2040 and a 45% reduction on 2010 levels by 2030.

As part of plans to turn the city into a leader in clean energy generation, the council’s publicly-owned renewable energy services company Hackney Light and Power is also offering free thermal insulation measures and trialling low carbon heat technologies such as heat pumps and hydrogen boilers in thousands of homes across the borough through its Green Homes programme.

Councillor Jon Burke, Cabinet Member for Energy, Waste, Transport and Public Realm, said: "I am delighted that Hackney Light and Power’s first solar power installation is already helping to decentralise the energy system and displace carbon-intensive electricity from the grid as part of our radical proposals to rebuild a greener Hackney in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic."