A low carbon energy park which generates half of the electricity at Keele University has been officially launched.
The facility - which boasts 12,500 solar panels, two wind turbines and a megawatt battery - will provide up to 50 per cent of the electricity needed for the university buildings, student halls and the privately-owned staff homes and businesses on campus throughout the year.
The multi-million pound initiative is believed to be one of a kind as it combines all three energy sources - wind, solar and battery storage - in one place. It is part of Keele University's effort to become carbon neutral by 2030.
In his final official duty before stepping down as the university's chancellor, environmentalist Sir Jonathan Porritt cut a green ribbon to officially open the park.
He told StokeonTrentLive : "It's a lovely way to sign off. We started talking about this 10 years ago. It's amazing. It gives a sense of how renewable energy is going to work for people."
The energy park is the latest sustainability venture at Keele University, which has a smart energy network demonstrator, and comes after a successful trial of gas blended with hydrogen to help heat buildings on the campus.
The scheme is a partnership with EQUANS, which has financed and installed the renewable equipment and will operate it. The 25-year investment involves Keele signing a lease agreement.
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Chris Langdon, development and investment director at EQUANS, said: "The campus is like a small town. The one thing that prevents us doing this in an actual town is some of the regulatory requirements. But this shows you can deliver decarbonised energy."
