PITCH CONTROL

Community football site gets a new solar panel boost

- STAFF REPORTER

Development of the £2million community football ground in Davie Park reached another milestone recently with the installation of more than 100 solar panels on the roof of the spectator stand.

The newly-installed state-of-the-art solar panels and battery storage system will ensure that both the carbon emissions and the day-to-day running costs of the community facility, which is run by Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Trust (BRCFT), are greatly reduced.

The latest phase of the project has been made possible thanks to generous funding support from the Scottish Government’s Community And Renewables Energy Scheme (CARES), delivered by Local Energy Scotland in partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, and SSE’s Perth and Kinross Sustainable Development Fund.

Sandy Thomson from BRCFT is pleased that the project has been delivered.

He said: “Installation of solar panels and battery storage is another powerful addition to the facilities at Davie Park, and has been a long-held aspiration of the Trust.

“Thanks to the support of Local Energy Scotland and SSE, we have been able to deliver that project, which will help us reduce our carbon emissions and our day-to-day running costs. This in turn ensures that more of the Trust’s financial resources can be used to advance the development of grassroots football in our community, making a significant difference to what we can achieve.

“BRCFT is a volunteer-run club with community at its heart, working towards the goal of making football accessible and fun for people of all ages and abilities.