Christchurch City Council says new solar panels now lining the roof of Christchurch Art Gallery are set to save the City $32,000 a year in electricity costs.
As part of the Council’s electrification programme, 488 new solar panels have been installed on the roof of the gallery.
Mayor, Phil Mauger said he’s thrilled to see the Council investing in solar energy.
“The space on top of the Art Gallery is otherwise underutilised so it’s a real no-brainer to put solar panels up there,” he said.
“I’m a real fan of solar, particularly as its becoming the cheaper option compared to buying from the grid and is a simple way to reduce Council’s emissions.
“It also helps with our resilience in an emergency – If the network is down, we still have power being generated by the solar panels and can get some electricity into our buildings.”
The new Art Gallery panels are expected to supply around 20% of the building’s yearly power requirements.
“The gallery requires a considerable amount of power to ensure it has the correct climate-controlled environment needed for the artwork on display and stored within it,” the Mayor said.
“Anything that can help mitigate those costs and contributes to our sustainability goals is a win-win.”
The first major Council facility to install solar was Matatiki Hornby Centre in 2024, when 625 panels were installed on the library and pool facility’s roof.
So far there has been a savings of more than $50,000 per annum from using solar at Matatiki.
The Council’s electrification programme focuses on finding different ways to provide energy to buildings within its portfolio.
Additional investment is planned from July 2027, with the Council considering solar and batteries at different facilities, creating emergency hubs and purchasing electricity from local solar farms.
