Greater Manchester Community Renewables (GMCR) [1] and Moss Community Energy (MCE) [2] are helping Salford boost its position in the nationwide renewable energy league by installing solar panels on three schools in the area.

Hot on the heels of Wigan, Rochdale and Stockport, Salford is current ranked 171^st out of 348 areas in the country for green energy generation, and 160^th for generation of electricity from solar in particular.

The community energy projects will add a further 74kW to Salford’s renewable energy capacity, generating approximately 60,000kWh of clean, green energy in the first year. The sunny schools will save money on their energy bills, reduce carbon emissions and receive educational support to help the pupils learn about energy and climate change. Surplus profits made by GMCR will go into a Community Fund, for further community energy and environmental education projects.

Kate Eldridge, Director of GMCR said “GMCR will be launching a community share issue next month to fund the installation of the solar panels. These solar arrays will be owned by local people for the benefit of the local community, and we are proud to be doing our bit for the climate at the same time.”

GMCR is also planning to install a 50kW solar array on a community centre in Trafford, helping Trafford residents to cement their position at the top of the Greater Manchester league and diversifying the mix of renewables in the area. Trafford is ranked 20^th in the country for renewable energy generation, a position it has achieved from generating energy from waste and biomass, and from sewage gas, where it is number 1 in the country.

The Green Alliance [3] has launched an online map [4] which shows the renewable energy capacity and current generation of each of the 348 local authority areas in England and Wales. The Greater Manchester league rankings for renewable energy generation, and electricity generated from solar are shown in the table below.

GM Borough	Renewable energy ranking	Solar ranking
Trafford	20	259
Manchester	73	128
Wigan	160	137
Rochdale	165	181
Stockport	167	144
Salford	171	160
Oldham	187	197
Bolton	226	189
Tameside	250	132
Bury	277	263

ENDS

Notes to the editor

1. Greater Manchester Community Renewables Ltd is a community benefit society, registered number 7066. GMCR will be launching a share issue in May 2016 to raise money for the installation of solar panels. www.gmcr.org.uk

2. Moss Community Energy Ltd is a community benefit society, registered number 7174.

3. Green Alliance is a UK charity and independent think tank focused on ambitious leadership for the environment. It aims to promote sustainable development by ensuring that the environment is at the heart of decision-making. Registered charity number 1045395 and company limited by guarantee (England & Wales) number 3037633.

4. The Green Alliance’s interactive renewable energy capacity and generation map can be found at http://renewablelocator.green-alliance.org.uk/energyType/4