Coventry & Warwickshire Bright Solar Future Showcase

Date

21 June 2023

Time

19:30 – 21:00

Location

Coventry Council House, Earl Street, Coventry CV1 5RR

Organisers

Climate Change Solutions

Responding locally to the 2030 Climate Emergency Coventry & Warwickshire's Bright Solar Future Showcase 7.30pm - 8.45pm Wednesday 21st June 2023 Coventry City CounciI House, Earl Street, Coventry

The Event

This free public event developed from the successful experience of the Heart of England Community Energy (HECE) solar farm in Stratford upon Avon, with 55,000 solar panels generating enough electricity to supply 4,500 homes with green clean power for 25 years.

The UK government aims for a 500% increase in solar power by 2035, currently second to wind in terms of renewable power generation capacity.

In 2014 the UK Government Road Map to a Brighter Future report indicated the potential for 250,000 hectares of south facing and flat commercial roofs for solar installation. However, this was not implemented, with only 1% of commercial roofs, and 1 million homes across the country having installed solar to date.

The Coventry Solar PV Project, led by Climate Change Solutions Ltd and aided by University of Warwick students, tried to test this potential in reality. Solar mapping conducted along both sides of Coventry’s 5.5 mile canal identified the potential for 288,000 solar panels which could generate 93,200 MWh/ year of green power.

A similar initiative with University of Birmingham students for the Tyseley Enterprise District, containing 250 businesses and other organisations, identified the potential for 63,000 solar panels. A Birmingham Council survey identified the potential for 67% of mainly south facing roofs in the city for solar power.

Coventry City Council has taken this further, and deserves praise for installing solar on 33 of its remaining buildings in the past few years, supported by EU match funding. They are now looking at 4-5 potential solar farms, one of which currently is a sheep farm. Panels can be mounted at a height that allows sheep to graze and shelter from extreme weather underneath, providing additional social value to local residents including the farmer.

Please register for this event as we discuss ways and means all citizens, communities and businesses can make this bright, clean and cost benefit future for all together.