Eco Environments helps Olympic legacy project to soar

LONDON, UK: An Olympic legacy project in Leicestershire has gone solar with the help of a leading renewable energy company.

Eco Environments erected 92 Hyundai solar panels as part of a 23kW system for Sport in Desford, the community sports association based in the Leicestershire village. Eco Environments, which has seven offices around England and Wales including a Midlands regional base in Birmingham, won the project following a competitive tender process.

The solar PV installation formed part of the works carried out as a result of £50,000 National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund towards a £100,000 project. Every sports facility receiving the funding will carry the London 2012 Inspire mark – celebrating its unique link to the Games.

Jim Houghton, development manager for Sport in Desford, said: “The solar installation is very neat and works like a dream. As a result of our smart meter which I can read from my computer at home, I can see that even now our daytime electricity consumption has dropped to zero on several occasions, something which will only improve further during the summer months.”

Chair of Sport in Desford, Sue Houghton, added, “Our new green credentials will become a beacon of good practice in our community as well as reducing costs and producing an income to plough back into continuing to develop our sporting legacy.”

Chris Acton, Eco Environments’ commercial business development manager, said: “Schemes such as Sport in Desford will provide a real community-based legacy from the Olympics and it is great to be able to play our part in this process. The money saved and generated as a direct result of the 92 solar panels may even help to produce a future Olympic star!”

As a result of the project, carbon emissions will be reduced by more than 10.3 tons a year combined with a saving of £1450 on electricity bills, something which will increase year-on-year. Overall, the scheme is estimated to give a minimum 23 per cent average annual return on investment over 25 years.

Lord Coe, chair of The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), said, “This is a fantastic funding project that will deliver a real legacy from the London 2012 Games.”