A COUNCIL has approved plans to explore investment in solar cells to generate electricity from its buildings and cut carbon emissions.
Moray Council are aiming to start the project by fitting solar photovoltaic (PV) cells at the Elgin Library, HQ Annexe and Ashgrove Depot in a bid to save on costs.
The local authority said the investment in green technology could generate annual energy savings of around £40,000 with an initial spending of £250,000.
Photovoltaic cells generate electric power by converting energy from sunlight which can be used to power equipment or to recharge batteries.
The council said the plan is for the PV to be large enough for the majority of the electricity generated to be used on site.
After the approval of the plans Moray Council leader, Councillor Kathleen Robertson, said: “This is exactly the type of innovative spend to save measures we’re keen to explore further.
“We need to be creative in how we view future spending within the council but when it ties in with our Net Zero ambitions and has the potential to save on costs in the long-run, we absolutely need to be considering projects like this. I’ll look forward to seeing how it progresses.”
The local authority said there is potential to expand the PV network across other council buildings in the future if they’re suitable.
The council also said the move could be considered as a spend to save measure and further assessments would be carried out to make sure any savings generated are worth the cost.
