STATE-OF-THE-ART solar power technology could be used to power the home of some of Devon’s most important historic treasures.

Exeter City Council is applying for permission to put canopies of solar panels on the roof of the Guildhall car park in the city centre. The power generated will be wired to the nearby Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM).

The canopies are normally installed in ground-level car parks, but the current application is to put them up on the open top deck of the multi-storey. The canopies would generate more than 320 kilowatts of power.

The application says the canopies are designated as permitted development, and will be more than 10 metres from the nearest homes and businesses.

It goes on: “Global climate change is widely regarded as one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world today. The principal cause is a rise in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a major contributor being the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity.

“Using solar electricity creates no CO2 or other pollutants and therefore does not contribute to climate changes or local air pollution.

“Exeter City Council declared in July 2019 that it had set itself the target to reduce carbon emission to ‘net zero’ by 2030 or sooner if possible, and the proposed development will provide a meaningful contribution towards this renewable energy target by helping to decarbonise the RAMM Museum energy supplies.”

The solar panels will also help save costs for the city council, and any excess electricity will go to the National Grid.