Welsh schools and public buildings to get solar panels

Three schools, a care home and a crematorium in Newport will be among the first buildings to have solar rooftop panels installed as part of Welsh Government support to expand community owned renewable energy in Wales.

The panels, which will produce two megawatts of electricity, will be installed by solar cooperative Egni, after being awarded nearly £2.35 million in funding.

The project overall is projected to save 3,700 tonnes of carbon and realise significant savings on electricity bills.

Wales is leading the way by ensuring the teaching of the climate emergency is mandatory in its new school curriculum – and Egni has pledged to reinvest surplus money from energy sold back to the grid into further climate change education.

The Welsh Government is committed to expanding renewable energy generation by public bodies and community groups in Wales by over 100 megawatts by 2026.

Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters said: “Our vision is clear, we want Wales to generate renewable energy to at least fully meet our energy needs and use surplus generation to tackle the nature and climate emergencies.

“With each IPCC report, the reality of the climate emergency hits home and we want Wales to play its part in the global response by hitting Net Zero by 2050. To meet that target, we've got to increase the amount of green energy we generate five-fold in the next 30 years.

“Net Zero Wales reaffirmed our commitment for a significant transformation of energy generation moving away from fossil fuels to sustainable renewable generation. Community owned energy builds local energy resilience through cleaner, greener means – vital in our efforts to reach a Net Zero Wales by 2050, and help schools, hospitals and communities protect themselves against rising living costs.”