HC Deb 24 April 2002 vol 384 cc296-7W
Ian Lucas

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government buildings owned by her Department have solar panels installed. [51196]

Ms Hewitt

My Department has investigated installing solar panels on its HQ building at 1 Victoria Street but this did not prove to be cost-effective. Another of its buildings in Wandsworth may be better suited to solar panels and this will be thoroughly examined when the roof to this building is renewed in the next year or two.

The Insolvency Service will be installing 20kWp of PV laminates in the atrium at its HQ building in Bloomsbury, part funded (45 per cent.) by a grant from the Large Scale Building Integrated Photo-Voltaic Field Trial. Installation is expected to be completed before the end of this calendar year. Companies House are also investigating using solar thermal systems to meet their hot water requirements.

The Department also supports renewable electricity through sourcing 33 per cent. of supplies to its London HQ estate from green generation.