Should public building have solar panels

[McNewPants2013]

Most public buildings have alot of roof space and have high energy cost, this of course cost the tax payer.

Iabu to think that the government should look into this to reduce cost

Of course.

Solar panels are very expensive and are not as good at creating energy as people think.

Also they only work at optimum if fitted on a south facing building.

There was a government paid scheme for people to have them fitted to their houses, but to get a pot of power there is a strict criteria and most buildings don't match it.

In terms of reducing costs, probably not. Capital costs high, efficiencies low. Long payback times.

Sorry posted too soon.

My point was that it is a good idea, but not always easy done.

All new public buildings have to be efficent, the new council buildings in my city are being built with a south facing roof for panels. So it is happening and eventually solar energy may get better an more buildings can have it.

if they turned the lights and computers OFF at night, and designed the buildings with windows that open rather than air-con (in the UK?) it would make more of a difference.

I am always turning off lights in work, especially in the bays as there is no need to have lights on in the day.

Our offices has those lights on sensors so if there is no one there they go off.

However our computers are all connected and get regular network updates during the night. the ones that are switched off end up playing up after missing an update. So that is not an option.

Also agree that air con is the devils work.

Our local authority does have! We also have big sustainability drives and people checking up to make sure you turn off computers lights etc.

I work in a very small public building and we would love to be able to put solar panels on the roof. Unfortunately it just isn't practical - combination of direction facing, side of a hill so not enough sun and to be honest, the money just doesn't add up. We have a duty to get best value for money for the tax payers and at present, even when there are discounts available, it just hasn't been viable.

And Specialsubject, what is this air conditioning thing? We have opening windows and of course we turn our lights and computer off - why wouldn't we?

Contrary to popular believe solar panels are an environmental nightmare. They can be green during their working life, but their production involves processes which are seriously toxic to both workers and the environment. Once they reach the end of their working life there is no way of safely desposing of them. They are currently stored in great big old solar panel mountains waiting for science to catch up.

Local primary was re-built and it's very eco friendly, monitors show you how mcuh energy and water it can save. Has many eco functions and controls itself, heat pump installed when the had to dig up the old playing ground and rain water stored for loo flushing.

Very impressive! If it makes sense on new builds why not - also new build houses should have more eco things built in (change the building regs) but it must make economic sense as well as eco.

Our council has a waste to power plant that heats public buildings. There were wind turbines on the civic center roof until recently, but i've noticed they've gone now. Don't know why.

As a public investment solar panels probably fail on the justification for necessary capital expenditure and whole-life environmental impact.

My large govt office building uses rainwater to flush the loos and has lights on sensors.

My work looked into it ( large govt buildings) and decided against based on what Panda/ Nefer and Bike said above.

Educating staff re turning lights off etc is far more efficient.