The renewable energy generated by the solar panels will meet 12 per cent of the site’s power usage, saving 17 tonnes of carbon annually and supporting Scottish Water’s drive to reach net zero emissions by 2040.
The project has been led by Scottish Water Horizons, the public utility’s commercial subsidiary, and delivered by contractor R&A Group.
The renewable energy generated by the solar panels will meet 14.5 per cent of the site’s power usage including the office building, saving 96 tonnes of carbon annually and supporting Scottish Water’s drive to reach net zero emissions by 2040.
The project has been led by Scottish Water Horizons, the public utility’s commercial subsidiary, and delivered by renewable energy specialists Emtec Energy.
Alison Croft, the company’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Transition Project Manager, and Paul Wilkinson, EV Transition Technical Specialist, will be showcasing one of its new electric vehicles as they take part in the Electric Vehicle Rally of Scotland (EVROS) .
“This award demonstrates that Scottish Water has made substantial progress on climate change mitigation and adaptation and has been assessed as an internationally leading utility.”
Alex Plant
CEO, Scottish Water
The scheme, at Howden Water Treatment Works near Selkirk, consists of 2,112 ground-mounted solar panels and 15 racks of batteries to store the power generated – which will meet over a third of the site’s power usage and support Scottish Water’s drive to reach net zero emissions by 2040.
The site, located in Cumnock, has been fitted out with a combination of ground and roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, helping to lower the carbon footprint of waste water services in the surrounding areas.
The projects have seen 512 photovoltaic (PV) panels installed at Bothwellbank Waste Water Treatment Works in South Lanarkshire, which are able to generate 0.23GWh of power and will offset around a fifth of the site’s energy needs.
The first of its kind in the UK, the scheme has seen the installation of a hydro turbine at Hamilton Waste Water Treatment Works in South Lanarkshire and is expected to generate 0.42GWh of green electricity each year – the equivalent of boiling around 1.8 million kettles annually.
The publicly owned utility has teamed up with United Utilities to work with tech innovators ChangeMaker3D and Manchester Metropolitan University to develop ‘printfrastructure’.
A total of 10 new EVs are now in operation across Orkney, including Westray, Sanday, Eday, North Ronaldsay and the Orkney Mainland.
These join 96 other vans that are already in operation across the organisation, with aims to increase that number to 179 by the end of this financial year. In addition, a total of 135 Scottish Water sites have chargers installed, with plans for 400 sites to cater for the fleet by 2028.
Scottish Water has been a partner in a project, led by the local community and supported by the National Lottery’s Community Fund, to regenerate the site once occupied by Douglas Primary School as a multi-functional greenspace.
Our team worked with the community to incorporate sustainable drainage features in the new park, which store and slowly release the rainwater that falls on surrounding roads and rooftops during storms. This eases pressure on the combined sewer network in the local area, as well as helping to protect the local environment and reduce flood risk from the Dighty Burn. Importantly, the community has been able to realise its wider aims by creating an attractive outdoor space that also provides a home for wildlife; and can be enjoyed for play, relaxation, exercise, events and the growing of food.
Planning is now underway to introduce more sustainable water management measures in the area surrounding the park, with the aim of disconnecting over 40,000m2 of land area from the combined sewer network; and helping to enable the development of more social housing in Douglas. Engagement with the community, including schools and other key stakeholders, is being carried out to help shape the proposals.
Work with the community and Dundee City Council on sustainable drainage for Douglas has helped to inspire the Water Resilient Dundee partnership. This initiative is now pursuing opportunities for more sustainable management of stormwater across the city, reducing flood risk in communities, creating capacity for development and enhancing amenity.