Solar panels are now being installed as part of the move to our new offices.
A significant step on our road to carbon neutrality is being taken with the installation of 331 solar panels on our new offices – which will be known as Monterey House.
Work is now underway and will see a 165 kWp (meaning it will produce a peak of 165 kilowatts of energy on a sunny day) system installed including batteries for energy storage, to ensure we use the energy generated, and six electric vehicle charging points.
The solar panels and battery storage are expected to save roughly £31,000 per year in electricity costs and reduce our CO2 emissions by around 29 tonnes per year.
The panels are being installed by ZLC Energy and the project is being managed on our behalf by Portsmouth City Council.
Other green enhancements include ensuring that the building is well insulated, installing efficiency improvements to facilities in the building and greening the offices with plants to improve workplace wellbeing. There will be a workplace travel plan to encourage staff to travel to work in sustainable ways. We are also reusing furniture where we can rather than buying everything new.
We hope that these changes will result in a 75% reduction in our office-based carbon emissions compared to Penns Place, making a huge saving in terms of carbon footprint.
Councillor Robert Mocatta, portfolio holder for Regeneration and Prosperity (including climate change), said:
"Our ability to reduce the council's emissions has been hampered by our office space.
"The move to Monterey House is an opportunity to make our office space much more efficient, and we're putting our money where our mouth is in terms of our investment in this.
“We hope to regularly publish the electricity generation and consumption data once we have moved into the new office."