There’s a certain kind of satisfaction when a project comes to fruition, knowing that its benefits will be two-fold.
The solar project at Bodenham Arboretum is nearing completion, for the infrastructure is complete, and all panels and cables have been installed. All that awaits is the connection to 3-phase electricity (a constant, higher-power supply), which National Grid have scheduled for May.
The adoption of this renewable energy source represents a major milestone for Bodenham Arboretum in bolstering its energy efficiency whilst at the same time lowering its carbon footprint.
The system, designed and installed by Shrewsbury based ESP Energy, which involved the installation of 292 solar panels on the barn roofs will generate 162 kilo watts per hour / 135,000 kilo watts annually. A dedicated display in the Visitor Centre will show energy generation, consumption, and grid export in real time once the project has gone ‘live.’
James Binnian, owner of Bodenham Arboretum said, “Longer term solar energy will bring us financial benefits, but of equal importance is the fact that it reduces our reliance on the grid which depends on fossil fuels to generate energy, so the environmental benefits are just as good.”
Permission for the project to go ahead was obtained from the Government’s National Heritage Department who had awarded the Arboretum ‘Heritage’ status in 1995, and the project was signed off by the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.
According to ESP Energy, Bodenham’s system will reduce Bodenham’s CO2 emissions by 34 tons per year. Over its lifetime – 25 years, it is also predicting that the energy saved will be the equivalent of just over 1,000,000 km of car travel or 718 long haul flights. Alternatively, it will have had the same benefit of having planted just under 6,500 trees – and that is something which resonates loudly with Bodenham Arboretum!