SOLAR panels that have been installed on the roof of Thornbury Fire Station have begun to prove their worth.

The 50 panels were installed in April this year and since then have generated 4,000 kilowatt hours of electricity which is more than enough to run the average home for a year according to figures from Ofgem.

AF&RS Environmental and Energy Improvement Co-ordinator, Simon Richards, said: “It is great news for Avon Fire & Rescue Service. When we looked at making improvements to the roof at Thornbury Fire Station it seemed an ideal opportunity to think about solar panels.

“I am delighted that the 50 panels we have installed are generating this much electricity in such a short space of time. This initiative is part of our Carbon Management Plan, which has seen our energy consumption fall by 30% in the last five years.

“As we look to the future and further improvements to our stations and other locations, we will be considering other energy efficient and green design measures to reduce that figure further.”

“The solar panels on the roof at Thornbury Fire Station were predicted to generate between eight and nine thousand kilowatt hours annually so to have produced half of that in just one quarter is a great achievement.”