Wiltshire’s Solar Power Cuts Carbon

Wiltshire Council and EV charging specialist 3ti Energy Hubs have recently unveiled their innovative solar car park made from sustainable timber beams and solar panels at the Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre in Salisbury.

This groundbreaking project supports Wiltshire Council’s ambitious goal of becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2030. Working closely with the leisure centre and council, 3ti Energy Hubs successfully delivered the Papilio3 solar EV charging hub, which is housed in an upcycled shipping container. The hub provides both visitors and staff with access to reliable, fast, and safe EV charging facilities.

The solar car park’s structure is crafted from Glulam, a sustainable material made from renewable wood laminations bonded together to offer a natural alternative to traditional steel or concrete. This engineered timber boasts significant advantages over structural steel, being three times stronger, a third lighter, and requiring only a fraction of the energy used in the production of equivalent steel beams. Additionally, Glulam is repairable and can be turned into biofuel at the end of its lifespan.

Since the installation of this innovative technology, the solar arrays have been generating over 20MWh per month. The solar setup consists of three gullwing solar canopies that cover 70 parking spaces, with a combined capacity of approximately 220 kWp. Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre maximises the usage of the solar generation by relying on it for 100% of their electricity demand, contributing to around 10% of the site’s overall electricity consumption.

Expressing his support for the initiative, Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, stated, “We are a high-profile organization, and if the actions we are taking can inspire others in the county and beyond to do the same then that can only be a good thing.”

Cllr Tamara Reay, Wiltshire Council Cabinet Member for Assets, highlighted the council’s dedication to energy efficiency, sharing that council emissions have significantly reduced to 2,767 tCO2e in 2023/24, surpassing their target. She added, “We’ll continue to do what we can to lead the way on this work locally and, as we’ve demonstrated through this project, bold action really can make a difference.”

CEO of 3ti, Ben Marchant, expressed pride in supporting Wiltshire Council in their sustainable initiatives, stating, “Being involved from the outset, it is fantastic to see the cost savings and efficiency achieved through the solar installations, and to witness the significant rise in EV charge point usage by visitors over recent months is truly inspiring.”

Image courtesy of 3ti.