The mats have been installed as part of the council’s ‘Low Cost, Low Carbon’ strategic priority, which is committed to reducing energy consumption in the district.
Installed by Trailar, they work by powering the electrical components in the vehicle, such as the air conditioning and radio, reducing the demand on the alternator and therefore reducing the diesel.
The project, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, has already shown 162kg of carbon emissions being saved in a single day in late April.
‘A useful solution’
Councillor Will Roberts, portfolio holder for neighbourhood, said: “These solar mats will provide a useful solution while we see out the lifespan of the existing fleet of diesel vehicles, after which time we will look to replace the diesel vehicles with low or zero emission alternatives.”
Darren Judd, Biffa’s head of fleet development, said: “The installation of solar mats is one of a number of initiatives to understand how various technologies fitted to our fleet can help us realise potential carbon savings in real-world conditions.
“It’s fantastic to partner with organisations like Warwick district council who share our sustainability vision and values by experimenting with solutions that may help us decarbonise our UK operations.
“We will continue to work with our local authority partners and business customers to provide an even more efficient and lower-carbon collection service that will help reduce their Scope 3 emissions and contribute to our own net zero journey.”
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