WORK is underway on the creation of a solar meadow at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo.
The installation of the solar panels comes as part of the wildlife conservation charity’s commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by 60% by 2030 and be net zero by 2040.
E.ON is leading the project, with Edinburgh Zoo revealing that animals including meerkats, giraffes, armadillos, and penguins all curiously watched on as construction got underway!
Once complete, the solar meadow will feature more than 1,500 bifacial solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, which can potentially generate up to 880,000 kWh of power a year. The solar meadow is expected to generate around 25% of Edinburgh Zoo’s electricity consumption, with the 1,548 solar panels being installed on the site by the end of 2023.
David Field, RZSS chief executive, said, “It’s vital that we inspire people to protect, value and love nature, and that starts with ensuring we’re reducing our own carbon paw-print on site at our zoos. Nature and nature-based solutions must be prioritised, and our new solar installation with E.ON is a huge step in setting RZSS as a global exemplar for biodiversity and sustainability. The meadow is projected to generate up to 880,000 kWh a year, which represents a saving of 194 tonnes of CO2e, or 8% of our carbon annually.
“Our charity plans to reduce its carbon footprint by 60% by 2030 and develop a strategy to be net zero by 2040. When the solar meadow is complete, we’ll become the number one zoo in the UK for green energy generation, and number three in Europe.”
Chris Lovatt, chief operating officer of UK solutions at E.ON, added, “There’s no greater positive link between energy and our environment than generating sustainable power and using it for wildlife conservation, and this agreement with RZSS delivers both an economic and environmental win. This project contributes to the great work of RZSS and is just one of the ways we’re working with customers at home, in business and across whole communities, taking climate action to help the UK meet its net zero targets and combat the climate crisis.”
