It was a pleasure to attend the formal opening of Aberystwyth University’s new solar array at Penglais campus, which has been operating since Autumn 2022.
Aberystwyth University has invested £2.9m in the new solar array, which was made possible by technical and commercial support from the WG energy service and £2.6m of zero interest finance through WG’s Wales funding programme.
The solar array will provide 25% of the annual electricity needs of the campus while cutting more than 500 tonnes of carbon emissions and 8% of energy related emissions annually and up to 12,000 tonnes over its anticipated 25 year working life.
The development covers 3.8 hectares of land belonging to the University on Fferm Penglais and includes around 4,500 individual solar panels.
Construction on the site has also included work to encourage greater biodiversity in surrounding hedgerows and drainage basins, with the development now fully operational, sheep can continue to graze the pasture around the panels.
