BIN lorries are looking greener across the district.
Solar mats have been installed on Warwick District Council’s 20 refuse and recycling vehicles, in a move which could reduce carbon emissions by around 1.3 tonnes per vehicle, per year.
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 consumption by approximately 515 litres per vehicle, per year.
The project, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, has already seen impressive statistics on warm, sunny days this spring, with TRAILAR’s telematics system showing 162kg of carbon emissions saved in just one day in late April.
WDC’s neighbourhood spokesperson Coun Will Roberts said: “I’m delighted to see the installation of these solar mats on our refuse and recycling vehicles, which are already demonstrating their value. I’m pleased that Biffa and TRAILAR were able to complete the installation in time for the summer months and with no disruption to collections.
“The council is committed to further reducing the carbon emissions from our waste collection fleet. 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.”
