Exeter City Football Club’s training ground is switching to solar power - thanks to Devon County Council’s ‘Green Impact Fund’ and installation by electrical engineering specialists EX2 Group.
ECFC has lofty ambitions within the English Football League’s ‘Green Clubs’ scheme and also has its sights set on becoming a signatory of the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework later this year.
Exeter-based EX2 Group’s specialist division Eco-Tech have installed 108 solar panels on the roof of the Grecians’ Cliff Hill training ground.
The solar power system will generate more than 40MWh each year and save an estimated 9 tonnes of carbon emissions - that’s equivalent to the amount of carbon absorbed by 415 trees every year.
Sam Charters, the Eco-Tech Divisional Manager said:
“This is an excellent project for us- as well as our commitment to helping our community cut costs and carbon, the EX2 Group is a long-term supporter of Exeter City Football Club, so we are delighted to be working with them!
“By powering this site with renewable energy, the club is showing their commitment to their net zero goals and local community. We are looking forward to collaborating with them on further projects as they aim to reform the energy use across their sites.”
Travis Bramley, Sustainability Officer at ECFC said:
“We’ve been promising fans solar for some time now and it feels fantastic to finally be delivering on this, thanks to the support of Devon County Council, the Trust and of course, the expertise of EX2. We’re thrilled to be working with a trusted local supplier and are excited to benefit from the carbon savings of this project, as well as the clear financial benefits.”
The Green Impact Fund (GIF) programme is a £1.8m capital grant scheme funded by the UK government as part of the Devon and Torbay Devolution Deal and managed by Devon County Council. Exeter City FC is just one of the many local businesses and community organisations to benefit from this programme.
EX2 Group are electrical & building services engineering specialists that work across the southwest, their experienced engineers have the ability to deliver complex challenging projects on time and within budget. Their engineers have previously worked at the St James Park ground undertaking the electrical installation to the Adam Stansfield Stand and supporting the club with small and reactive works.
Their Eco-tech division partners on projects delivering low-carbon and renewable energy - from solar PV and lighting controls to EV charging systems. They design green energy solutions to drive efficiency - saving money, planet and resources.