YORKSHIRE Building Society has installed hundreds of solar panels at its Bradford headquarters as part of an £11 million refurbishment of the site off Rooley Lane.

More than 700 solar panels have been installed on the roof at Yorkshire Drive, in a bid to reduce the Society’s carbon footprint by 65,000kg a year, producing enough sustainable energy to run 1,000 PCs or 25,000 energy efficient light bulbs.

Dr Andrew Thomson, YBS environmental and sustainability senior manager, said: “The solar panels are a really significant investment and demonstrate our commitment to reducing our energy consumption and impact on the environment. Yorkshire Drive has undergone an £11 million makeover to completely refresh the whole building, and the solar installation is a flagship element of the overall energy saving programme, which includes upgrades to the air conditioning units, lighting and improved insulation as well as closer monitoring of energy usage.

“We have set ambitious targets for energy efficiency and carbon reduction, including five per cent this year. Yorkshire Drive’s transformation is a significant step towards our overall goals this year, and sets the green standard for the group’s properties.”