Almost 10% of the electricity used in Basingstoke and Deane could be generated by rooftop solar panels on business and community buildings, a new study has revealed.

Commissioned by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, the study assessed all roofs over 30m² in size across the borough to determine how much renewable energy could be generated by rooftop solar panels.

This involved looking at over 3,000 roofs including on industrial and commercial buildings such as warehouses, offices, shops and factories as well as those belonging to schools and colleges, community halls, hotels and places of worship.

The council is now offering the owners of these properties bespoke reports outlining how many panels they could install and the money and carbon they could save, along with signposting to options for how they could proceed including potential funding support.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Action Cllr Hayley Eachus said: “Installing the solar panels outlined by this study could make a significant contribution towards achieving a net zero carbon borough by 2030, with the potential to cut around 15,000 tonnes of carbon from local emissions every year.

“Given the current price of energy, these panels could also save local businesses and organisations a substantial amount of money on their electricity bills, with the savings for most likely to cover the initial installation costs in around five to eight years.”

This study is the latest in a series of council initiatives to help cut local emissions. This includes the imminent creation of a green team to provide businesses and communities with sustainability advice and the recent launch of a climate change toolkit for businesses, complementing existing toolkits for residents and groups.

Alongside this, the council has also partnered with Climate Essentials as it leads on an ongoing pilot project providing one-to-one support to a limited number of businesses, charities and social enterprises. This includes helping them to measure their carbon footprint, audit their operations and make realistic plans for reducing their emissions.

For more information about the solar study, including how property owners can request their bespoke reports, see www.basingstoke.gov.uk/solar-panel-study.