(Ed. You must see this drone view of the facility and its circular solar panels.)
It is now an entirely operational component of Diamond’s sustainability programs. This solar plant indeed boasts the capacity of 2.7MW, generating around 2.3GWh per year in electric energy. That stands for nearly five percent, roughly, of Diamond’s total annual energy consumption.
In addition to annual savings of £500,000, the scheme will eventually save over £2 million a year in total energy costs. The above of this achievement is quite special because this was integrated with an overall roof maintenance project for installation.
Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron light source science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire. It produces intense beams of light that are used in various scientific research areas, such as investigating the structure and properties of materials, from proteins to engineering components and even archaeological artifacts.
The facility has been operational since 2005 and has always adopted sustainable approaches in its operations. Recently, Diamond Light Source integrated a solar plant with a capacity of 2.7MW, generating around 2.3GWh per year in electric energy. This contributes to nearly 5% of Diamond’s total annual energy consumption and results in significant energy cost savings.
Diamond Light Source is a crucial player in the global fight against climate change, not only through its operational sustainability but also by inspiring other research institutions to adopt greener practices.