Eastleigh borough council is embarking on a programme of installing Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on some of its buildings to generate electricity and reduce carbon emissions. The first building to benefit from this project was the main sports hall roof of Fleming Park Leisure Centre.

The roof had previously been refurbished with the Polyroof 185 warm roof system some 20 years ago and Eastleigh Borough Council, having worked closely with Polyroof Products Ltd over many years, decided to use Polyroof’s Protec system to further extend the lifespan of the roof.

The Protec system was used to extend the lifespan of the roof for years to come.

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With minimal preparation the Protec system was applied over the existing roof to provide a flexible, seamless and durable waterproofing membrane. The system has been awarded BBA approval with a durability rating of at least 20 years and provided an ideal base for the installation of the new PV solar panels. The Protec system is liquid applied, meaning it is able to seamlessly waterproof any support stanchions and it is also tough enough to easily support maintenance foot traffic.

288 PV solar panels were then installed over the Protec membrane which are set to generate 62,000 kWh per year, which equates to around £23,000 – £25,000 of annual savings for Eastleigh Borough Council. What's more, the expected payback of the panels is a mere 8 – 9 years.

The solar panels cover the 1,100sqm roof and produce substantial amounts of renewable energy.

To put the environmental benefits of the PV solar panels in perspective, the average home uses around 3,300 kWh per year – meaning that the panels on this one roof alone are enough to power 18 homes for a year. Furthermore, by creating energy in a renewable form the scheme will avoid the production of around 34,000 kg of carbon dioxide a year, which is the equivalent of an average car travelling over 100,000 miles.

(CD/BMcC)