Sun shines on football club after it nets green investment to cut carbon emissions
Exeter City Football Club has taken a significant step towards sustainability with the installation of solar panels at its Cliff Hill Training Ground.
The 108 panels on the site’s main building will generate more than 40MWh of clean energy annually – cutting an estimated nine tonnes of carbon emissions each year. That’s the equivalent of the carbon absorbed by 415 trees annually.
This project has been made possible through funding from Devon County Council’s Green Impact Fund and the expertise of Exeter-based electrical engineering specialists EX2 Group.
Exeter City is actively working towards achieving English Football League ‘Green Club’ status. The club also aims to become a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework later this year.
Travis Bramley, sustainability officer at Exeter City Football Club, said: “We’ve been promising fans solar for some time now and it feels fantastic to finally be delivering on this, thanks to the support of Devon County Council, the Supporters’ Trust and the expertise of EX2. We’re pleased to be working with a trusted local supplier and are excited to benefit from the carbon savings of this project, as well as the clear financial benefits.”
The Green Impact Fund (GIF) programme is a £1.8m capital grant scheme funded by the UK government as part of the Devon and Torbay Devolution Deal and managed by Devon County Council. Exeter City Football Club is one of many local businesses and community organisations to benefit from this programme.
The panels were installed by club sponsor EX2 Group’s specialist division Eco-Tech.
Sam Charters, divisional manager at Eco-Tech, said: “This is an excellent project for us – as well as our commitment to helping our community cut costs and carbon, the EX2 Group is a long-term supporter of Exeter City Football Club, so we are delighted to be working with them.
“By powering this site with renewable energy, the club is showing its commitment to its net zero goals and local community. We are looking forward to collaborating with them on further projects as they aim to reform the energy use across their sites.”
