New solar array at Fife treatment works

19 July 2021

Green energy is helping power a waste water site in Fife thanks to a new solar scheme

A total of 434 roof and ground mounted solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels have been installed at Cupar Waste Water Treatment Works to support Scottish Water’s journey to net zero emissions.

The carbon reducing technology will offset 12 per cent of the electricity needed to operate the facility, with the new solar PV system generating 0.13GWHr of energy each year – the same amount of energy needed to boil around 1,300,000 kettles.

It’s the latest investment by Scottish Water Horizons which will save 30 CO2 equivalent tonnes of carbon per annum.

Newly installed solar PV panels at Cupar Waste Water Treatment Works

Ian Piggott, Project Manager at Scottish Water Horizons, who led the project delivery said: “PV power is instrumental in helping tackle climate change and reducing our carbon footprint and schemes like this go a long way towards helping us achieve that.” 

An electric vehicle charging point was also installed to accompany the renewables scheme, supporting the transition of Scottish Water’s fleet of vans away from fossil fuels to cleaner energy with the growing use of electric vehicles.

Alan Mearns, Scottish Water Operations Team Leader, said: “We have set ambitious goals to reach our net zero target by 2040 and sustainable solutions like this will help us on our green journey. The lower carbon impact at this site is great news for the environment and means our customers in the area are playing their part in finding greener and more sustainable solutions to treat water they use.”

The solar scheme at Cupar Waste Water Treatment Works will save 30 CO2 equivalent tonnes of carbon per annum.

The work was carried out by renewable energy solutions specialists Absolute Solar and Wind.

The Cupar site joins a portfolio of more than 77 water and waste water treatment works which are now either self-sufficient or partly sufficient in generating their own power requirements.

The energy needed to provide essential water and waste water services makes Scottish Water one of the largest users of electricity in the country. It has announced a target to host or self-generate three times its annual electricity consumption by 2030.

Share this page: