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Areas of activity

Renewable energy

Using renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power is important in the battle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide contribute to global warming, which causes climate change. Climate change manifests itself through increasingly severe weather events, such as the recent flooding in Calderdale.

The good news is that Calderdale Council is doing its bit to help.

Green electricity for all street lights in Calderdale

Calderdale's 30,000 street lights are now powered from certified renewable energy sources. Power is supplied via the National Grid, but specifically produced by (bought from) wind farms across the country. Annually, street lighting in Calderdale uses 12.5 million kWh of electricity - generating this from renewable sources instead of fossil fuels saves over 4,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

Council buildings powered by green energy

More than a quarter of all the electricity used by Calderdale Council is now generated from certified renewable energy sources. This results in a carbon dioxide saving of around 1500 tonnes per year. Buildings powered completely by green electricity include:

Together Northgate House, Central Library and Princess Buildings use around 1.5 million units of electricity per year. The conversion to green electicity in these buildings has saved approximately 526 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year since 2001.

Combined heat and power plant in Todmorden

The Todmorden Sports Centre has a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant that generates around 60% of the site's electricity  and uses the waste heat from this process to warm the building. Since 2000, this has saved around 550 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.

Solar panels at Park Road

The hot water for sinks and basins in the Council offices at 1 Park Road is generated by solar thermal panels mounted on the roof.

Useful links

The Centre for Sustainable Energy|  is an independent charity which aims to advance sustainable energy policy and practice. CSE seeks environmentally sound and affordable energy solutions that meet the needs of and engage with people and communities.

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