Solar panels to be fitted on new markets complex

Solar panels are to be installed on Rotherham's new flagship market redevelopment.

The town's council, which signed off a £350,000 plan on Monday to install solar panels on the development, said the move would slash carbon emissions, cut energy bills and bring the borough closer to its net zero targets.

Construction work on the £36m town centre markets complex off Drummond Street, complete with a library, cafe and gallery, is expected to start later this month and be completed next year, according to the council.

While the original markets and library redevelopment included a small solar element, budget constraints meant it was scaled back during the design stage.

Now, with the £350,000 allocated from existing decarbonisation funds, the council said it intended to make full use of available roof space to increase the solar output of the site.

The plans include a 58kW solar system on the library rooftop, estimated to cost just over £64,000 with a payback period of six and a half years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The outdoor covered market will receive a 195kW system at a cost of about £282,000, with payback expected in eight and a half years.

Combined, the installations are projected to save the council about £42,000 a year in energy costs and reduce annual carbon emissions by 3.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

In 2019, Rotherham Council declared a climate emergency and pledged to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

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