ALMOST 5,000 ground-mounted panels are being installed at the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush campus in Midlothian as part of the university’s bid to become carbon neutral by 2040.
The university said that it estimates £200,000 per year will be saved in electricity costs, with the five-hectare site to be connected to the Royal School of Veterinary Studies and the Roslin Institute.
Its photovoltaic (PV) panels are expected to generate more than 1,400,000 KwH of electricity a year, which the university said is roughly the same as that needed to supply 500 homes.
Dave Gorman, director of social responsibility and sustainability at the University of Edinburgh, said, “The University of Edinburgh has invested more than £20 million in low-carbon energy in recent years, which has reduced its overall CO2 emissions by almost 10,000 tonnes annually. The solar farm at Easter Bush will not only allow us to lead the way in the practical implementation of such technology, but research the next generation of low-carbon energy.”
