New Hackney Light and Power solar panel scheme launched at West Reservoir Centre
Power-generating solar panels have been installed at the West Reservoir Centre, through a new solar panel scheme launched by Hackney Light and Power, Hackney Council’s publicly-owned renewable energy services company.
The panels will help tackle the climate emergency and contribute to Hackney Council’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions across all its functions by 2040, and a 45% reduction on 2010 levels by 2030.
The West Reservoir Centre will now be able to generate all the power it needs from the solar panels on its roof, which have been installed by the Council’s contractor Spirit Energy. Any excess power generated will be fed back into the grid as part of the Council’s ambition to make Hackney a leader in local renewable energy generation.
The scheme is now being rolled out to a further nine Council-owned buildings, including London Fields Lido, to generate up to 1MW of clean energy. The Council is also exploring whether solar panels could be used on Council homes and estates to generate clean energy.
As part of plans to turn Hackney into a leader in clean energy generation, 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; carrying out feasibility studies into new district heating schemes; and conducting a study into how it can roll out London’s largest electric vehicles charging points network.
In our 2018 Manifesto, we committed to deliver a publicly-owned clean energy company, Hackney Light and Power; and in 2019, we declared a climate emergency and committed to doing everything within our power to rapidly reduce the Council’s carbon emissions in-line with the most stretching science-based targets of the United Nations.
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.
We’re now working hard on the delivery of Hackney Light and Power’s next solar and energy infrastructure projects, which are not only generating clean power but also high-skilled employment at a time of real economic uncertainty
Hackney Council also participates in Solar Together, led by the Greater London Authority, which offers competitive priced solar panels to private homeowners and businesses.