Renewable energy developer Zestec and facilities manager Mitie have announced plans to build a 1.2 MW solar carport at the Legoland Windsor resort.
The solar project, which will generate 1.1 million kWh of annual power, will power the resort’s new Woodland Village, which consists of 150 lodges. The facility represents a £35 million investment for Merlin Entertainments and is the company’s first accommodation venue to be certified as carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust.
The generation of sustainable electricity on site contributes to the purchase of clean energy through a “green electricity tariff” and expands the role of renewable energy in the resort.
“The delivery of the solar carport demonstrates Merlin’s commitment to long-term sustainability and continued investment in the Legoland Windsor Resort, delivering the ultimate guest experience,” said Dare Ilori, group sustainability director at Merlin Entertainments, who added that the company has reduced absolute CO2 emissions by 25% over the past eight years reduced.
Although the companies involved did not specify when they expect the carport to begin commercial operations, Mitie said it would begin operations “soon.” Zestec also noted that it will deliver the project through a “fully funded” power purchase agreement, but did not provide further details.
Zestec, which was acquired by British energy giant Octopus in 2022has been trying to expand its solar energy portfolio over the past twelve months, worked with the cooperative to deploy 30 MW of new solar capacity last year. Earlier this year, research from RenEnergy suggested the addition of solar carports to UK car parks could be possible could add 1.57 GW of solar capacity to the country’s commercial and industrial (C&I) solar sector.
