THAMES Travel bus depot in Didcot is to meet almost 30 per cent of its electricity needs from 175 solar panels, thanks to a partnership with award-winning social enterprise Low Carbon Hub.
A new 50 kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) scheme on the bus depot roof in the town will provide the company with green electricity at a discounted rate and will go towards cutting our county’s carbon emissions, saving almost 20 tonnes of CO2 being emitted each year.
A subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group, Thames Travel has joined 36 other schools, businesses, and community organisation as hosts of a Low Carbon Hub renewable energy project.
This new solar PV project will also form part of Project LEO or Local Energy Oxfordshire, which is hailed as being ‘one of the most ambitious, wide-ranging, innovative, and holistic smart grid trials ever conducted in the UK’.
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The project is a collaboration between industry, academia, councils, and social enterprise that is exploring how we can best transition to a smarter, flexible electricity system that benefits households, businesses and communities.
The Low Carbon Hub’s portfolio of renewable energy projects, including this Thames Travel installation, will provide the clean energy generation as part of an ambitious real world demonstration of flexibility and energy services.
The solar panels were funded by the Low Carbon Hub’s most recent share offer, the Community Energy Fund, in which local investors put their savings to work to support community energy.
The income from the sale of the electricity to the National Grid then provides a modest return to the investors and a sustainable income stream for the Low Carbon Hub to support further community-led carbon-cutting activity.
Sustainability has long been important to the Go-Ahead Group.
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Another of its subsidiaries, the Oxford Bus Company, was the first business to work with the Low Carbon Hub in 2013.
OBC's was the first solar PV installation to go live generating 123 kWh of clean electricity every year and generating £12,000 in community benefit funding in its first year alone.
Barbara Hammond, CEO of Low Carbon Hub, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased at seeing this new project go live.
“From working with Oxford Bus Company as our very first installation in 2013, it’s been great to continue that relationship with the launch of this new green energy project.
“At a time of climate emergency, it’s fantastic to see organisations such as Thames Travel take a lead on tackling the global issue of climate change at a local level.
“We’d love to work with other businesses serious about reducing their impact in this way.”
Tom Heel, business development director, Low Carbon Hub added: “This installation is the first of many new installations at the Low Carbon Hub that will form part of Project LEO, the partnership project that is looking to change the energy system as we know it.”
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Luke Marion, Thames Travel finance and commercial director, said: “This is the next significant step in our ongoing environmental strategy as a group of companies and helps us further cut our carbon emissions.
“We are proud to once again be the first company to partner with the Low Carbon Hub on another innovative project that will make another one of our buildings one of the most environmentally friendly in the county.”
Low Carbon Hub is a social enterprise out to prove we can meet our energy needs in a way that’s good for people and good for the planet.
They develop community-owned renewable energy projects in Oxfordshire and re-invest 100 per cent of the surplus into supporting local communities in carbon-cutting projects.
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Project Local Energy Oxfordshire (LEO) is one of the most ambitious, wide-ranging, innovative, and holistic smart grid trials ever conducted in the UK.
LEO, which received £40m of government backing earlier this year, is designed to improve understanding of how opportunities can be maximised and unlocked from the transition to a smarter, flexible electricity system and how households, businesses and communities can realise its benefits.
For further information visit lowcarbonhub.org
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