Solar s to be fitted on new markets complex

Solar s are to be installed on Rotherham's new flagship market redevelopment.

The town's council, which signed off a £350,000 plan on Monday to install solar s on the development, said the move would slash carbon emissions, cut energy bills and bring the borough closer to its net zero targets.

Construction work on the £36m town centre markets complex off Drummond Street, complete with a library, cafe and gallery, is expected to start later this month and be completed next year, according to the council.

While the original markets and library redevelopment included a small solar element, budget constraints meant it was scaled back during the design stage.

Now, with the £350,000 allocated from existing decarbonisation funds, the council said it intended to make full use of available roof space to increase the solar output of the site.

The plans include a 58kW solar system on the library rooftop, estimated to cost just over £64,000 with a payback period of six and a half years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The outdoor covered market will receive a 195kW system at a cost of about £282,000, with payback expected in eight and a half years.

Combined, the installations are projected to save the council about £42,000 a year in energy costs and reduce annual carbon emissions by 3.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

In 2019, Rotherham Council declared a climate emergency and pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

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