Schools, leisure centres, council offices and community buildings will be going greener as part of a £1.85m county-wide project to cut carbon emissions.

SSE Energy Solutions has begun work making 20 Monmouthshire County Council buildings more eco-friendly after winning the decarbonisation contract, with annual energy savings of £250,000 projected.

Local primary schools set to benefit from greener classrooms include Deri View and Cantref in Abergavenny, Llanfoist Fawr, Cross Ash, Gilwern and Goytre Fawr, while Abergavenny Leisure Centre, Mardy Park Care Centre, County Hall in Usk and the Usk Community Hub are also in line for eco-enhancement.

As well as saving on energy bills, pupils, teachers, workers and visitors will benefit from better quality lighting, heating and ventilation.

Solar photovoltaics (PV) on roofs and carports will also generate zero carbon electricity, with the council saving more than 4,000 tonnes of carbon by 2030 as a result of the project - the equivalent energy used by 1,766 homes in a year.

The tie up with the utility company is Monmouthshire Council’s first energy performance contract, with SSE guaranteeing energy savings over eight years.

Other county primaries targeted for energy improvements are Archbishop Rowan Williams in Portskewett, Castle Park and Durand in Caldicot, Trellech, Overmonnow in Monmouth, and Pembroke and Thornwell in Chepstow.

Chepstow School and Leisure Centre is also in line for greening, alongside Innovation House in Caldicot.

As part of the project, SSE assessed a wide range of technology options and identified measures that ensure each building operates as efficiently as possible and can even generate their own sources of clean energy.

SSE say they will allow the council to make significant financial and carbon savings, and help it meet its ambitious net zero target.

Cllr Jane Pratt (Welsh Con, Llanelly Hill), Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Neighbourhood Services, said: “We are committed to delivering our robust decarbonisation targets as set out by our Climate and Decarbonisation Strategy.

“As part of this, we understand that we need to work closely with our community to make meaningful improvements that will have immediate impact.

“Decarbonising existing infrastructure is always challenging and working in occupied buildings, each with its own constraints and limitations, is never an easy task.

“We were impressed with SSE’s excellent results working with other local authorities and this is why we trusted SSE Energy Solutions with our first energy performance contract.”

David Ball, Senior Projects and Operations Manager at SSE Energy Solutions, said cities and towns account for more than 70 per cent of the global annual carbon dioxide emissions.

A recent report by the International Energy Agency had highlighted that climate action in highly populated areas is essential in achieving net-zero emission goals, he added.

“Initiatives like this are the first steps towards building fully integrated solutions for smart cities that are an essential step towards addressing the climate crisis challenge.

“We must drastically reconsider how we use our buildings and land to ensure we become as energy efficient as possible and utilise every opportunity to generate and consume clean energy.”

SSE is a principal partner of COP26, the Glasgow global climate summit.

It is working with local authorities, facility managers and large energy users across the UK, tackling small and large infrastructure challenges and creating partnerships that enable truly transformational smart city experiences.

Monmouthshire Council is also considering options to work further with SSE to develop a second phase that will involve additional buildings.

To find out more visit www.sseenterprise.co.uk @SSE_Ensolutions