Mitie Communities has worked with Essex County Council to manage the installation of roof mounted solar panels at 15 schools across the county. The new panels will help to significantly reduce carbon emissions and energy costs for the Council. The panels will produce around 700,000 kWh of renewable energy every year, equivalent to the energy needed to power 185 homes1, saving 180 tonnes of CO2 and around £115,000, with an estimated payback of around 10 years.
Mitie, who provides full Facilities Management and maintenance services to Essex County Council, managed the entire installation process. This included a full review of the Council’s estate of more than 250 locations to identify the priority sites, creating business cases and feasibility studies, and securing government funding, as well as overseeing the selection of specialist suppliers and installation. Mitie has also installed remote monitoring equipment in the panels to track the performance of the panels, the carbon savings achieved and any maintenance requirements.
With the project focused on helping to tackle the climate crisis and reduce emissions for generations to come, it was fitting that Mitie Communities and Essex County Council prioritised schools for the first phase of solar panel installation. The project will now move on to phase two of the solar installation programme, installing roof-mounted panels at another 12 schools and 16 core council buildings, such as libraries and children centres, to help drive emissions down further. Following their installation over the next three months, this will cut the Council’s carbon emissions by an extra 220 tonnes a year.
This project builds on Mitie and Essex County Council’s ongoing partnership to fight climate change by reducing energy use and helping the county reach net zero carbon emissions target by 2050. Some of the installations were delivered as part of a project called Empower 2.0, which aims to empower citizens in Essex to take an active role in the energy market as the UK transitions to a low carbon society.
Pradyumna Pandit, Managing Director, Sustainability and Energy Services, Mitie, said:
“Decarbonising the UK’s buildings is key to securing a net zero future for the next generation, so it’s very fitting that we’re helping Essex County Council cut its emissions by rolling out solar panels across the region’s schools. With this project, we’re demonstrating that doing the right thing by our planet doesn’t need to cost the earth, by helping the Council lower its energy bills along with its carbon emissions.”
Councillor Schwier, Lead Member on Climate Action, Essex County Council said:
“I am delighted that the first phase of this project has now been successfully completed. We are committed to tackling climate change in Essex and this is a fantastic step in the right direction. With the Essex Climate Action Commission about to launch its recommendations for a net zero Essex later in the summer, we expect many similar initiatives will be proposed. These solar systems will showcase the reality of net-zero electricity to thousands of pupils and staff, so they can experience renewable energy first-hand.”
Notes to editors
- Based on average annual domestic electricity consumption of 3,772 kWh. Source: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategies.
About Mitie
Founded in 1987, Mitie’s job is to look after places where Britain works and is the leading facilities management company in the UK. We offer a range of services to Central Government and Defence customers; Communities (Healthcare, Education and Local Authorities); and Technical Services (Engineering Services, Energy, Water and Real Estate Services) and Business Services (Security, Cleaning and Office Services) to Private Sector clients in Financial Services, Manufacturing, Transport, Retail and Telecoms and increasingly to the public sector. Finally, our Specialist Services (Care & Custody, Landscapes and Waste Management) division serves both the public and private sector in higher margin niche businesses.
Mitie acquired Interserve’s FM business in December 2020 and now employs 77,500 people we are the champion of the ‘Front-Line Heroes’ who have kept Britain working during the COVID-19 pandemic. We take care of our customers’ people and buildings, through the ‘Science of Service’, delivering essential services and deploying industry leading technology to create safe and effective workspaces.
The business continues to execute its technology-led strategy and in the past six months has received multiple awards.
Find out more at www.mitie.com.
