Wednesday 20 January 2021

Scottish Water installs roof-mounted solar panels at treatment plant

Scottish Water has announced the installation of solar panels on the rooftop of its water treatment works in Campbeltown, Scotland.

The 174-panel installation by the water company's commercial subsidiary Scottish Water Horizons, is expected to help offset around 16% of the electricity required to operate Campbeltown Water Treatment Works.

The £94,000 new solar system will generate the same amount of energy needed to boil around 5,000 kettles and save 13 tonnes of carbon every year.

To date, around 9.2MW of solar power has been installed at 47 of Scottish Water's sites across Scotland, generating 7.2GWh of renewable energy annually – equivalent o powering 1,900 homes.

The projects support the water company's commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040, with an interim target to host or self-generate three times its annual electricity consumption by 2030.

Currently, more than 76 of Scottish Water's water and wastewater treatment works are now either self-sufficient or partly sufficient in their power requirements.

Morag Maclaurin, North Operations Team Leader at Scottish Water said: “Sustainable solutions such as this are great news for the environment and also for our customers. Water in the Campeltown area is now being supplied with a lower carbon impact than ever before, helping local communities become greener and more sustainable.”