Bywaters’ 1MW rooftop solar array has saved more carbon in its first nine months of operation than the waste management company predicted for a full year while powering the majority of the east London facility’s operations.
The company has revealed the installation, which was completed in February 2016, has saved 361 tonnes of CO2. This is already 40 tonnes more than was predicted for a full year of generation in addition to delivering 700MWh of power the 650,000 tonnes per annum Materials Recovery Facility in Bow.
The installation is on track to deliver a return on investment within six years when the renewable energy will make the building self-sufficient.
John Glover, managing director of Bywaters, said: “Feasibility studies convinced us of the validity of using solar panels in the UK and we are already saving more carbon than anticipated. As well as reduced energy costs, the solar panels are enabling us to operate more sustainably.”
The company says the solar installation underlines its approach to environmental action, particularly in London where dangerous air quality levels have led to air pollution becoming one of the biggest health threats facing the city’s inhabitants.
In addition to this climate action, Bywaters has heralded solar’s ability to turn a passive asset such as the roof of a building into a profitable resource and an example of what can be achieved in an urban environment.
Glover continued: “We have taken a number of decisive actions to clean up the capital’s air and believe in setting the benchmark for how businesses can carry out core processes without causing damage to the environment through harmful emissions.”
