Works are underway to make Dorchester's County Hall more energy efficient.

The building will be upgraded with a significant number of solar panels and replacement windows installed to help reduce emissions.

Other measures include the installation of an air source heat pump to one of the annexes and low energy lighting throughout the site. Free air cooling, an approach to lowering air temperature by using naturally cool air, will be installed in the council's data centre.

The changes at County Hall are expected to save more than 100 tones of CO2 emissions each year. it is also expected to save around £69,000 each year, based on current energy prices.

Using £19 million of grant funding, a total of 100 Dorset Council-owned buildings will be installed with low carbon technologies, including leisure centres, schools and academies.

Work has started on more than 60 buildings and so far, 40 heating management system upgrades have been completed, 15 lighting upgrades finalised and six solar panel projects finished.

The project is possible due to the successful ward from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme grant, following a bid from the council's sustainability team and assets and property. The works form part of the council's action plan to address the climate and ecological emergency and will help the council in meeting its 2040 carbon neutral target.

Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council's portfolio holder for highways, travel and environment, said: "These works are an important step towards our goal to become a carbon-neutral council. As well as the impact it will have on the council's own carbon footprint, we hope the expected co-benefits, such as financial savings on energy costs, will encourage others to explore similar measures for their own properties.

"Colleagues are working hard to ensure the project is delivered on time, making the best use of the funding to make our buildings greener and cleaner. This is a hugely ambitious project, officers are going over and above to deliver the scheme alongside their usual duties, under challenging circumstance and working to tight deadlines."

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