The sunniest university in Scotland is considering a major project to fit its rooftops with solar panels in a bid to cut carbon and cash and reinvest savings in an ambitious bid to be net zero by 2035.

The University of St Andrews is working with renewable specialists Vital Energi to assess the suitability of 65 university buildings for solar installations.

St Andrews is one of the sunniest spots in Scotland, enjoying an average of 1540 hours of sunshine per year, narrowly ahead of the City of Dundee at 1458 hours per year.* Dundee has long been regarded as the sunniest city in Scotland.

The University already heats most of its buildings via an award-winning green energy plant which pumps hot water to St Andrews from 4 miles away at Eden Campus in Guardbridge. The solar project is the next stage in a plan to cut all of its potentially harmful emissions to zero over the next 11 years.

It's estimated the solar project will save 200 tonnes of carbon per year, while effectively future-proofing the University's energy security.

Student residences like David Russell Apartments and Agnes Blackadder Hall could be prime sites for the major solar arrays.

Chief Operating Officer Derek Watson said: "St Andrews is blessed with more hours of sunshine than almost any other town in the UK, it's a great natural resource, and knowing what we know now about the scale of the climate crisis, it would be irresponsible not to consider how we can use solar power here and now."

The solar project is the next stage in a plan by the University to play an important role in tackling the climate emergency by reducing its carbon emissions and meet Net Zero targets.

Welcoming the project, President of the St Andrews Students Association Cam Brown, said: "We may be an ancient University but we aren't in the shadows - we are embracing the technologies of today to bring our own solar revolution into St Andrews.

"The University's ongoing investment in and expansion of renewable energy through the installation of solar panels across campus is a significant and greatly welcomed step toward achieving carbon neutrality. By continuing to adopt and advance renewable technologies, the University of St Andrews is making substantial progress in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and protecting our environment.

"This is not just talk, but action! Our solar revolution reinforces our reputation as a well-established and forward-thinking institution, inspiring hope for the future of our students, our community, and our planet."

Stephen Traynor from Vital Energi said: "Rooftops are a great resource for any organisation looking to decarbonise, but lots of work has to go into checking if each location is viable. We now have a list of buildings which are suitable and are pleased to be helping the University with the planning process. This is a project which can have a significant positive impact on the University achieving their ambitious 2035 Net Zero targets."

The University already uses solar energy from the photovoltaic array at Eden Campus, where a battery storage unit harnesses the renewable energy, facilitating the shift from fossil fuels across the institution and cutting the University's carbon footprint by approximately 5%.

*Source: Gazetteer for Scotland

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