Dorset attraction is first MOD building to go green (From Dorset Echo)

Dorset attraction is first MOD building to go green

4:30pm Friday 27th January 2012 in Local News By Martin Lea

ONE of Dorset’s best known attractions is going green in a milestone project.

Solar panels have been installed on the roof of one of the exhibition halls at the Tank Museum, Bovington – the first independently-financed renewable energy project on a Ministry of Defence building.

The museum, a registered charity, has plenty of green items in its world-famous collection but this new addition is set to provide a major boost to its environmental credentials.

Museum bosses leased the roof space of the exhibition hall to renewable electricity generator Farm Power which funded the installation of more than 200 solar photovoltaic panels.

These will generate 10 per cent of the museum’s power.

They will generate 47,000 kilowatt hours and reduce the museum’s carbon footprint by 20 tonnes per year.

The project was brought forward when the government announced the incentive for installing solar panels would be halved at the end of 2011.

Tank Museum facilities manager Roy Hicks said: “The panels cover 90 per cent of the roof space above one of our exhibition halls.

“It is modest enough in character not to be unsightly, whilst ensuring that the museum is now generating 10 per cent of its electricity needs from a renewable source.

“And South Dorset has lots of sunlight.”

Mr Hicks added: “This is a significant part of our new environmental policy, which also includes power saving and recycling of waste materials.”

The project was designed and managed by energy efficiency solutions company, Anesco, using locally-based teams.

It was initiated in line with the government’s desire to achieve 20 per cent of its power needs from renewable sources by 2020.

Mark Simon of Farm Power said: “The government is encouraging both domestic and commercial organisations towards developing renewable generation where the technology is both viable and economic.

“Farm Power is an independent power producer which specialises in developing solar resources on small brownfield sites such as barn roofs; these have close to zero impact in terms of noise, pollution, waste and access.”

He added: “This project represents a milestone in that it is the first independently- financed renewable energy project on Ministry of Defence buildings.

“The MOD has been hugely supportive of this initiative and we hope it will lead to many more schemes to assist government organisations in meeting their carbon reduction commitment.”