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A £245,000 solar panel installation project at the Stewarton waste water treatment works in East Ayrshire is now complete, set to provide a significant portion of the facility's energy needs from a renewable source.
The project involved the installation of 270 ground-mounted solar panels at the site. It is anticipated that the new solar array will generate 0.11GWh of green energy annually – equivalent to the electricity needed to boil approximately 488,800 kettles. This output will meet one-fifth of the treatment works' power requirements and is expected to save around 31 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. This will make the process of treating waste water for thousands of customers in and around the town less carbon-intensive and contribute to Scottish Water's goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040.
The solar scheme was led by Scottish Water Horizons, the commercial subsidiary of the publicly owned utility, and delivered by contractor FES.
Brian James, Scottish Water Horizons Project Manager, commented: "We're delighted to complete this solar project at Stewarton waste water treatment works, which will help make the vital services delivered to customers in the area less carbon intensive."
Acknowledging the site's proximity to local housing, James added: "Given the site is close to residential properties, we tried to ensure any disruption from the construction of the scheme was minimised and would like to thank local residents for their patience while this project was completed. It joins a growing number of renewable schemes that are now in operation across Scottish Water assets, all of which are helping us towards our net zero emissions target for 2040."
Ross Hay, Scottish Water Senior Operator at the Stewarton facility, said: "It is great that almost a fifth of the energy needed to run the works here in Stewarton will now be provided by this solar scheme - the works operate round the clock treating waste water from customers across the local area and due to this, are a significant user of energy. This is a positive step towards reducing the carbon involved in delivering these essential services to customers."
