Solar panels installed on City Building College in Glasgow

Construction firm City Building aims to provide a new, green training college for its apprentices.

Recently, 69 solar photovoltaic panels were installed in its roof, to enable it to significantly reduce its energy costs and emissions.

The building is located in the Springburn area of the city next to the company’s manufacturing factory and is expected to be ready by summer.

It has been designed to be as sustainable as possible, with a timber kit crafted from sustainable wood and will include an air source heating system that will be used to power underfloor heating and produce hot water without carbon emissions.

City Building's College in Glasgow is set to be ready by summer

The college in Springburn will is equipped with 69 solar panels

The company aims to create a new, green training college for its apprentices

The solar panels will generate 26.22kW electricity at peak and the power will be used in the college to reduce its electricity supply.

Any surplus energy will be exported initially to the factory to reduce its electricity usage and further excess will go back into the grid.

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Councillor Alan Casey, Chair of City Building (Contracts) LLP said: “It is extraordinary to see City Building’s new training college come to life and hear about the renewable technologies it incorporates.

“Following COP26, delivering a cleaner, greener city is an absolute priority for Glasgow. Sustainable buildings are crucial to our net zero commitment but delivering them requires the construction industry to learn and adopt new skills.

"It is encouraging to see City Building leading the way in upskilling its workforce and embedding renewables into its apprenticeships.

“As a former apprentice myself, seeing City Building adding these new renewable skills into its apprenticeship programme is hugely encouraging.

"They are the forefront of innovation in this field, so it is a very exciting time to be a City Building apprentice.”

Alan Burns, executive director, City Building, said: “We are proud to be at the forefront of sustainable construction.

"Our new college is the lynchpin in our plans to ensure our apprentices have fit-for-purpose skills and be ready to take advantage of the significant opportunities available in renewables technology.

“In the coming years, there will be a huge focus on retrofitting existing buildings to be more sustainable.

"This will not only create a better environment; it will also create substantial work for businesses such as ours and allow us to protect and grow jobs.”