New solar panels have been fitted to firefighter’s accommodation in Spalding.
The house next to the town’s fire station has six en-suite rooms and is used by fire service staff so they can be on hand for fast response to emergencies.
The building was completed last month but now the service has added solar PV for financial and environmental reasons.
The 16-panel, 4kW system was fitted by Stow-based Freewatt. The company has already fitted PV to 16 fire stations around the county as part of the service’s promise to reduce energy consumption by 20 per cent by 2014.
Almost two tonnes a year of CO2 will be saved by the system, which will pay for itself in less than eight years. It will generate a revenue of almost £700 a year and savings worth £200 per annum for 20 years.
In total the 16 stations are now saving more than £60,000 a year of tax payers’ money in reduced energy bills and generating 150,000 kW per year.
“We are delighted that we have been able to continue our work with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue,” said Freewatt CEO Julian Patrick.
“These buildings are vital for enabling the service to save lives and property so if we can help make the buildings greener and more cost effective for the future then it’s a very worthwhile project.”
Sean Taylor, group manager from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said: “The accommodation at Spalding has allowed the service to increase its full time cover within the county of Lincolnshire, providing excellent service and response times to the local community.”