£2m solar project at GMWDA
PROPERTY group Styles & Wood has begun the £2m installation of solar panels for Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA).
Working alongside GMWDA’s technical adviser, AMEC Foster Wheeler, Styles & Wood is installing the 2.2 MW ground mounted system on a brownfield site at GMWDA’s resource recovery facility on Salford Road in Bolton.
The electricity generated by the 8,000-panel array will help power the three main facilities at the site, which process a total of 3,268 tonnes of waste and recycling every year.
Ian Dunning, head of Styles & Wood Energy, said: “This installation will help GMWDA to significantly reduce its energy consumption and operate more sustainably.
“Given the potential to generate revenue through the Government’s Feed in Tariff, businesses have become even more interested in launching their own solar schemes.
“This has led to third party investors setting aside funds for these projects with the Feed in Tariff providing a return on investment through solar deals – enabling systems to be constructed without the need for organisations to source the initial capital. Because of this solar is still one of the most viable ways of generating energy on smaller scales.”
Cllr Catherine Piddington, chair of the GMWDA, said “The Salford Road facility already contributes to our target of 50% recycling and 85% landfill diversion rate by 2020. The addition of the solar array only serves to make the Contract more efficient and more environmentally friendly.”
