Solar panels for startup incubator: improving our environmental impact

This investment is part of Science Creates’ ongoing sustainability efforts and was partially funded by a West of England Combined Authority (WECA) Rooftop Solar Grant, a grant supporting SMEs and registered charities that contributed £39,800 to the development. Committed to improving the health of the planet, this development joins a host of other Science Creates initiatives to support and drive deep tech sustainability.

Holly Fisher, Science Creates’ Laboratory and Sustainability Manager, said:

“The Science Creates community has already begun to benefit from this energy-saving initiative as we are now generating our own renewable electricity, which will support up to 20% of our 15,000 sq. ft. building’s annual 100% renewable electricity usage. By generating our own electricity we have also minimised the transmission and distribution losses otherwise experienced when electricity is transported over long distances through the national grid, making our energy use more efficient and independent. By reducing our reliance on our renewable electricity supplier, we are also allowing the renewable energy available on the grid to serve more customers, which is particularly important during peak times. The annual energy savings from these solar panels will be roughly 90,000kwh, which is equivalent to the annual energy use of 33 households in the UK, and more than double our energy savings in 2023.”

The solar panel installation was successfully completed by local supplier Comera Energy over a six-week period, without disruptions to the specialist scientific research and development conducted in the building.

If your business is interested in installing solar panels to support their lab sustainability and seeking insight into the process, get in touch to discuss further, or join our mailing list to stay up to date on our sustainability news and more.

WECA’s Rooftop Solar Grant applications are open until 30 September 2024.