Wrexham’s multi-award winning markets, arts and community hub, Tŷ Pawb has taken a huge leap into the future of sustainable power, thanks to the completion of a solar panel installation on its roof.
The flat roof space, formerly part of Tŷ Pawb’s multi-storey car park, offered an ideal opportunity to accommodate a substantial solar panel array, which has now been taken full advantage of.
The solar panels are part of a photovoltaic (PV) system, which converts sunlight directly into create electricity, helping to reduce carbon emissions and generate clean energy right in the heart of Wrexham.
The work was completed by Wrexham-based company Rawson EV Power and Solar, and funded by income from other council owned solar installations – generated by selling excess energy back to the grid.
Solar panels don’t need direct, bright sunlight to work – they just need daylight, although they will generate more power on sunny days.
The cold winter months won’t be a problem either – solar panels work with light, not heat. Daylight is all they need. In fact, they sometimes work more efficiently in colder temperatures!
The future is bright
There are some signifinant wider benefits which will now come from being able to generate clean electricity on the rooftop. Check out these super stats:
- The total solar capacity now installed on site offsets around 25% of Tŷ Pawb’s electricity demand.
- This delivers an annual saving of circa £30,000.
- It also reduces carbon emissions by approximately 25 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
- The investment achieves a payback period of around 3 years.
- Over 30 years, the projected total saving is around £900,000 if energy prices and inflation remain static — and this figure would be even higher if energy prices continue the same long-term trend seen over the past 30 years.
Tŷ Pawb can be an example to “inspire others”
Wrexham Council’s Lead Member with responsibility for Tŷ Pawb, Cllr Hugh Jones said: “We want Tŷ Pawb to be a decarbonisation hub in the city centre that will inspire others, and the solar panels are an important step towards this.”
“We’re cutting the building’s operational costs and helping to build a more sustainable future for Wrexham.”
“Sustainability is at the heart of Tŷ Pawb’s offer and is something we champion in a number of ways, including our rooftop garden, and in our market hall with the innovative business models of traders such as Stashbusters (an arts supplies charity shop that donates profits to local community art projects), and Lend and Mend.”
“It was great to see Tŷ Pawb recently highlighted as a “fantastic example” in a glowing case study by UK climate action charity, Carbon Copy.”
Councillor David A Bithell, Deputy Leader of the Council and Lead Member with responsibility for decarbonisation, said: “Tŷ Pawb’s commitment to sustainability is fantastic, and supports the council’s broader environmental goals.
“We’re committed to reducing carbon emissions and enhancing energy efficiency across the county borough, and these solar panels are another positive step towards reducing the city’s carbon footprint.”
