More than 600 square metres of rooftop solar panels have been installed at a council-run plant nursery and garden centre in Leeds in a move expected to cut energy use by almost two-fifths.
Leeds City Council said the new solar photovoltaic system at The Arium, in Whinmoor, is forecast to reduce the site’s energy consumption by 39 per cent while generating an estimated 119,294kWh of clean electricity each year. The project is part of the council’s wider drive to reduce energy use and carbon emissions across its estate, with more than 30 council-owned sites and over 30 schools already powered partly by solar energy.
Council leaders said the scheme also sits within a broader programme of corporate solar projects supported by Great British Energy and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s (WYCA) Mayoral Renewables Fund, alongside the council’s own investment aimed at accelerating decarbonisation.
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space said:
“This funding is a major step forward in our mission to become the UK’s first net zero city. By investing in clean, efficient technologies, we’re not only reducing emissions and energy bills but also creating healthier, more sustainable public spaces for our communities.”
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin said:
“From severe floods in 2015 to drought last year, people in West Yorkshire know all too well the devastating consequences of climate change and that we must act now.
“Investing in renewable energy will help our region become greener, more resilient and energy efficient.
“As we work towards a net zero region by 2038, we are committed to working with GB Energy and our local partners to ensure public buildings across West Yorkshire are fit for the future.”
A report to the council’s executive board in December said Leeds’s contribution to climate change had fallen by 38 per cent since 2005, from 6.3 million to 3.9 million tonnes of carbon. Over the same period, the council’s own carbon footprint has reduced by 65 per cent. Further work is planned at The Arium as part of the next phase of decarbonisation, with proposals to replace the site’s gas boilers with air source heat pumps.
The Arium is the largest local authority-run nursery in the country. Most of the plants sold at the garden centre are grown in its 19,000 square metre glasshouses, and the site supplies flowers and plants for displays across Leeds www.theariumleeds.co.uk
