Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request information regarding your current and planned usage of solar energy across your estate. Please could you provide responses to the following questions:

1. Governance & Responsibility
o Do you have a dedicated person or team responsible for solar energy investment and/or sustainability energy initiatives within your organisation?
o If so, please provide their role/title (personal names are not required).
Currently this sits within the Energy Team at WBC. The Energy Team consists of : 1x Energy Manager, 1x Energy and Utilities Manager, 2x Energy Officer’s

2. Current Solar Deployment
o How many solar panel installations (PV systems) do you currently operate across your estate: 93
o What is the total installed capacity of these systems (in kWp): 2246
o What proportion of your organisation’s energy usage is currently provided by solar generation: 10%

3. Investment & Strategy
o Does your organisation have a documented investment strategy for expanding the use of solar panels or increasing on-site renewable energy generation: No
o If so, please provide a copy of or link to the relevant strategy or plan (or summarise key points if not published).

4. Solar and Net Zero Commitments
o Does solar energy form part of your organisation’s Net Zero / Carbon Reduction Strategy: Yes
o If yes, how is progress against this strategy communicated to the public (e.g. via website, reports, dashboards, etc.): Via the Climate Emergency Action Plan and associated documentation

5. Future Plans
o Are there any planned solar panel projects or expansions within the next 3 years? If yes, please provide high-level details (e.g. number of sites, scale of deployment, approximate timescales): Yes, infrastructure projects of a significant scale. These are in the public domain
o Have you conducted any feasibility studies on increasing solar capacity in the past 3 years? If so, can these be shared: Yes and no

6. Procurement & Partnerships
o Does your organisation currently use any third-party companies or frameworks to deliver solar energy solutions or manage installations? If yes, which ones: No
o Are there any upcoming procurement exercises planned relating to solar energy or wider renewable energy solutions: No

7. Battery Storage
o Do you currently use battery storage alongside your solar panels? No
o Are there plans to invest in battery storage in future? Yes

8. Funding
o Has your organisation accessed or applied for any external funding to support solar energy projects (e.g. SALIX, Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, LEP funding): Occasionally

9. Barriers
o What are the main barriers your organisation faces to further adoption of solar energy (e.g. funding, planning restrictions, roof suitability, internal resource): Resource and support