BARNARD Castle’s four county councillors went into bat for the town’s cricket club in an effort to knock expensive energy bills for six.
Cllrs Richard Bell, Ted Henderson, James Rowlandson and George Richardson each contributed £1,000 from their neighbourhood budgets to the cost of installing solar panels to the cricket club pavilion and club house roof.
In all, 37 solar panels have been fitted by Teesdale Renewables in a scheme costing almost £20,000.
As well as contributing some of its own funds, the club received £10,000 from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and £5,000 from Durham County Council’s Business Energy Efficiency Project (BEEP).
The club also spent £6,000 to install a new boiler compatible with the solar panels.
This scheme is the latest undertaken by club officials to maximise energy efficiency, recently installing a rainwater harvesting system.
Club chairman Dave Sparrow said the club was already benefitting from the energy generated through the solar panels.
“Some 24 per cent of our energy was covered by the panels in January and the panels will cover their costs in a matter of months, not years,” he said.
“Our yearly electricity costs are about £10,000 and we will save between 24 per cent and 35 per cent of those costs thanks to the solar panels.”
The solar panels have arrived well in time for the new NYSD league season which begins on Saturday, April 19 when Barney’s first team will be at home to Darlington RA.
