Somerset West and Taunton Council's Westpark Depot in Wellington is to get the majority of its energy from renewable sources.

In 2021 engineering firm Hydrock was commissioned to produce a decarbonisation strategy for a number of council assets.

The depot will now have a roof-mounted solar array and battery storage facilities, which is said to provide a short return on investment and a high reduction in energy and carbon usage.

The solar generated by the arrays will be used by the building, reducing its requirement on the national grid. Excess electricity generated by the arrays will be stored and used as and when it is required.

Executive Member for Climate Change, Cllr Dixie Darch, said: “I’m delighted that this project will enable us to both generate and store energy for council use.  Making the most of our council buildings in this way is an important part of our progress in reducing carbon emissions.”

The installation of the new infrastructure follows the council declaring a 'climate emergency' in 2019, and is part of its ambition to make the council and the area carbon neutral by 2030.

The work is set to commence in March, with completion scheduled for mid-May, with contractors Stafford and Coomber appointed to carry out the installation.