Christchurch’s Hornby Centre saves with solar

Christchurch City Council’s newest library and pool facility at Kyle Park in Hornby will save around $90,000 annually from 625 new solar panels installed on the Hornby Centre’s roof.

Local firm Sunshine Solar was engaged to install the panels at Matatiki Hornby, which is the first major Council facility to receive the solar treatment.

Council Head of Recreation, Sports and Events Nigel Cox advised “we’re officially connected and generating about quarter of our own power.”

The panel installation was paid for through the government’s Better Off funding grant.

Cox added “It’s fantastic to be able to put the funding towards something that not only moves us closer to our sustainability goals, but also offers some long-term cost savings.

“The amount of power we generate will vary throughout the year. During winter, we will generate approximately 10% of our total power needs, rising to 36% during the summer months, for an average of 24%.

“The pool facilities use a lot of power, so we will still be reliant on the local grid.’

The Council estimates an annual saving of around $90,000 on its power bill for Matatiki Hornby Centre.

“The performance of the solar array at Matatiki will give the Council valuable data and may help inform the future addition of solar at other Council sites,” says Cox.