Solar panels installed at council garden centre to reduce energy consumption

This is a key step in Leeds City Council’s plan to reduce energy use and carbon emissions across its estates, with over 30 council-owned sites and over 30 schools already being powered partly by solar panels.

The solar photovoltaic panels at The Arium will generate an estimated 119,294 kWh of clean electricity every year, reducing the running costs for the Whinmoor garden centre.

The project forms part of a wider package of corporate solar schemes supported by Great British Energy and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) Mayoral Renewables Fund, complementing Leeds City Council’s investment to accelerate decarbonisation.

A report to Leeds City Council’s executive board in December outlined how Leeds’s contribution to climate change has decreased by 38 per cent since 2005, from 6.3 to 3.9million tonnes of carbon. The council’s own carbon footprint has shrunk by nearly two thirds (65 per cent) over a similar period.

The installation of solar panels on the Arium will be followed by the next phase of decarbonisation which aims to see the site’s gas boilers replaced by air source heat pumps.

The Arium is the largest local authority-run nursery in the country. Most of the plants they sell are grown in the massive 19,000 square metre glasshouses on the premises, and the site provides flowers and plants to be displayed across Leeds.  

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.”

Read more about the Arium at https://www.theariumleeds.co.uk/. 

ENDS