Sophisticated solar panels save Portsmouth International Port nearly £140k in electricity bills
Sustainable solar technology has saved the port paying weighty electricity bills as it pushes towards ambitious environmental goals.
The 2,200 panels installed over Portsmouth International Port’s car lanes have slashed electricity bills by £138,058 since 2023/24. With the systems covering all the roof space on the terminals and elsewhere, they produce 1.2MW of power.
With the port owned by Portsmouth City Council, every penny saved will be put straight back into the community. Councillor Kimberly Barrett, cabinet member for climate change, said; “Our port is striving to become the UK’s first emissions-free port by 2050, and is testament to our city’s environmental ambitions.
“To do this, it has taken the lead in trialling and implementing a host of technological sustainability initiatives, including sea water heating and cooling systems. The low electricity bills demonstrate the real-world impact this forward-thinking strategy is having, saving money for our residents in the process”
The panels mean the port can run solely off-grid when the climate allows. They have supplied 21 per cent of the site's electricity demand over the past year.
In total, the port paid only £41 for its electricity at the new terminal extension, meaning it saved around £14,690 for just that building. The port only needed to draw just 0.8 per cent of its power from the grid because of how much electricity is supplied by the solar panels.
Portsmouth was the first city in the UK to use solar panels at its port, which were fitted in 2023. This is one of the many steps the port is taking towards being a carbon neutral facility. The Sea Change Project, where cruise ships and cross-channel ferries can connect to shore power and not run their engines, is being established and will soon be fully operational - after £19.8m from the Department for Transport and £4.6m from the council.
Port director Mike Sellers previously said the project is “the single biggest project we’ve ever undertaken”. He added: “We want to ensure that not only are we green in terms of our credentials, but we want to be good neighbours to the city and improve air quality also.”