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Decision details

Commercial Solar Photovoltaic Installations on Council Estate

Decision status: Recommendations approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Decisions:

Councillor Andrew Prosser, Executive Member for Climate Change, introduced and gave a detailed overview of the report, which sought agreement to invest in the installation of Solar Photovoltaic Installations (PV) on the roofs of buildings owned, and in some cases leased by the Council, based on the business case set out in the report. The report further sought to agree to enter into a contract with the preferred contractor for the installation of the solar PV.

The Executive stated that proposed work would be carried out on a case by case basis, and would not be undertaken if any work were to be deemed financially unviable unless the work was unavoidable due to structural condition of the building.

Councillor Andrew Prosser proposed that the Executive agree to the recommendations as listed on the report, with the wording ‘Chief Finance Officer’ replaced with ‘Section 151 Officer’. This was seconded by Councillor Dan Levy, was put to a vote and was unanimously agreed by the Executive.

The Executive Resolved to:

  1. Recommend to Council to agree to proceed with investment in roof mounted solar PV based on the business cases in the report;
  2. Agree to enter into sale agreements for the electricity generated, with the tenants, where financially viable and delegate decisions on whether or not to proceed with individual agreements to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance;
  3. Agree to enter into contract with the preferred contractor identified in Annex A, for the provision and installation of Solar PV and related equipment;
  4. Delegate to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Executive Members for Finance and Climate Change the decision to exclude any tenanted sites based on further Due Diligence associated with energy usage or vulnerability around continued tenant occupation;
  5. Delegates to the Section 151 Officer the decision to adjust the indicative electricity sale price to tenants as long as changes to the projected project returns are in-line with projections contained within the report;
  6. Recommend to Council to agree that funding for contingency costs of £27,634 is approved with delegation to the Section 151 Officer for expenditure of contingency subject to the business case still being viable or expenditure being unavoidable due to structural condition of the building;
  7. That revenue funding of £11,200/year is allocated for the part-time shared Energy Manager post and included in the next budget update. Noting that this will be funded from Solar PV income.

Report author: Climate Change & Nature Recovery Manager - Hannah Kenyon

Publication date: 14/07/2023

Date of decision: 12/07/2023

Decided at meeting: 12/07/2023 - Executive

Effective from: 23/07/2023

Accompanying Documents:

 

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