Affinity lifts off its solar power expansion

Affinity Water has begun the installation of 1.5MW in solar power capacity at two of its sites.

The water supplier has commissioned Centrica Business Solutions and HBS New Energies, to carry out the works at Affinity’s Chertsey and Walton sites. Completion is scheduled for early 2022.

Affinity plans further installations of solar panels to take its total annual output to 23.5 MWh. The company claimed that will reduce emissions by the equivalent of more than 75,000t of carbon dioxide over a 20-year asset life.

And Affinity has shifted to a 100% Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin-backed renewable energy tariff, meaning that it has power purchase agreements for green energy for all electricity consumed by its pumping stations, buildings, and sites. It has calculated that, by 2030, it will generate 10% of its baseload energy usage from its own solar, wind and hydrogen capacity.