Portsmouth Naval Base harnesses the power of the sun
In total, almost 2,000 solar panels comprising the latest photovoltaic technology have been installed on two key Portsmouth Naval Base buildings. The new 500kW system is expected to generate energy savings worth more than £1million over the next 20 years.
Ken Hobbs (above), Head of Energy Solutions and Services at BAE Systems Maritime Services said: ‘We are proud to be managing this important project for the Portsmouth Naval Base estate. Solar panels will generate power, transforming these buildings into clean energy producing facilities, improving efficiency and ultimately reducing costs for the Ministry of Defence.’
The installation of the solar panels is the latest step for the Maritime Support Delivery Framework partnering agreement between BAE Systems, the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence. The contract, which sustains more than 2,000 jobs in Portsmouth, sees BAE Systems look after planning, engineering, hard facilities management and estates services to deliver everything that is needed to live and work on the base.
Captain Iain Greenlees, Head of Infrastructure at the Naval Base, said: "The project is all part of creating a more modern and energy-efficient Naval Base fit for the 21st century. This is an important step on the path to modernising the Base to support the Royal Navy on global operations."
Under the partnering agreement, BAE Systems has already implemented a range of energy and cost-saving measures such as the installation of LED lighting in offices, LED street lighting, air-source heat pumps and intelligent control systems. In total, energy saving initiatives project managed by BAE Systems for Portsmouth Naval Base are expected to save the Ministry of Defence in excess of £500,000 this financial year.
