Scottish Water has invested £700,000 at Kirkcaldy Waste Water Treatment Works to increase energy production, including the installation of bifacial solar panels
Scottish Water has installed an additional 1,300 solar photo voltaic (PV) panels with an energy generating capacity of 0.41Gigawatt hours (GWh), 128 of which are bifacial solar panels.
This brings the total number of panels on the Kirkcaldy Waste Water Treatment Works site in Fife to 2,300.
Bifacial solar panels produce power from light striking both sides, producing more power and taking up less space than traditional panels.
The new solar array has increased Kirkcaldy’s power threefold
The total solar PV array is now able to generate 0.6GWh on a yearly basis, equivalent to the energy needed to power 600,000 mobile phones a year.
The £700m investment delivered by Scottish Water Horizons will allow the Kirkcaldy site to offset 14% of its energy needs.
In turn, this will decrease site energy costs save the equivalent of 100 tonnes of carbon each year, the same amount as 63 passenger jets flying from Edinburgh to New York.
Bifacial solar panels maximise energy production across a smaller footprint
The project was delivered on behalf of Scottish Water Horizons by renewable energy solutions specialists Absolute Solar and Power.
Kirkcaldy joins Scottish Water’s growing list of solar PV schemes up and running across Scotland, generating 17. GWh of renewable energy across 62 sites every year.
Debbie Henderson, Scottish Water Horizons renewables team lead, said: “This significant investment in Kirkcaldy Waste Water Treatment Works is a fantastic example of how we can utilise the space on our sites more effectively to produce solar power.
“Solar panel technology has come on leaps and bounds over recent years and the bifacial technology which is being used onsite means we can produce more electricity with a significantly smaller footprint.”
Creating a more sustainable UK water sector
Greg Russell, Waste Water operations team leader, added:“Scottish Water has committed to reaching the ambitious target of net zero total emissions by 2040.
“Installing green technologies such as solar arrays on our operational sites helps us to achieve this. It also means that customers in the local area are receiving a greener and more sustainable waste water service.”
