Crematorium in Newport to be fitted with solar panels as part of Net Zero Wales commitment

Three schools, a care home and a crematorium in Newport will be among the first buildings to have solar panels installed as part of a Welsh Government scheme to expand community owned renewable energy in Wales.

The panels, which will produce two megawatts of electricity, will be installed by solar cooperative Egni, after being awarded nearly £2.35m in funding.

The company which will own and manage the panels, has already successfully connected solar panels producing 4.3MW of energy to almost 90 buildings across Wales.

The first buildings earmarked for installation are expected to see the work carried out during the upcoming Easter school holidays.

Caerleon Comprehensive School is already benefiting from an Egni installation.

Nature and climate emergencies

Speaking on a visit there, Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters MS said: “Our vision is clear, we want Wales to generate renewable energy to at least fully meet our energy needs and use surplus generation to tackle the nature and climate emergencies.

“Projects like this show that ambition can become a reality.

“With each IPCC report, the reality of the climate emergency hits home and we want Wales to play its part in the global response by hitting Net Zero by 2050.

“To meet that target, we’ve got to increase the amount of green energy we generate five-fold in the next 30 years.

“Net Zero Wales reaffirmed our commitment for a significant transformation of energy generation moving away from fossil fuels to sustainable renewable generation.

“Community owned energy builds local energy resilience through cleaner, greener means – vital in our efforts to reach a Net Zero Wales by 2050, and help schools, hospitals and communities protect themselves against rising living costs.”

The project overall is projected to save 3,700 tonnes of carbon and realise significant savings on electricity bills as art of the Welsh Government’s commitment to expanding renewable energy generation by public bodies and community groups in Wales by over 100 megawatts by 2026.