UCLan’s was boasting its green credentials on Tuesday at a ceremony to celebrate the university’s new solar panels.

Senior staff along with representatives from Energi Holdings PLC and the SU gathered to mark the first phase of UCLan’s three year sustainability strategy.

Dean St. John, from Energi Holdings PLC, who supplied the panels, said: “There are two hundred active panels at the moment but eventually there will be six hundred panels generating energy for the campus. The next phase is a £100,000 project to install solar trackers. They’re a new technology that move on an axis to track the sun, making them 35% more efficient than stationary panels.”

Energi are a Lancaster based company supplying Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems and wind turbines to schools, homes, offices and public buildings.

The new solar panels are only one element of the massive changes UCLan has seen since last semester. The installation of recycling bins and solar panels, along with People and Planet’s Green League commendation, are just some of the success stories of the university’s Environmental Policy.

Vice Chancellor Malcolm McVicar said: “Universities are in a crucial position to set examples in switching to renewable energy, reducing their pollution and addressing ecological and environmental issues.”

SU Campaigns Officer, Lee Bradshaw, said: “This is a massive step for the university but changes work best from the ground up. Students can still play an active role to make the university even greener just by switching things off and recycling.”

For students who want to voice their opinion on UCLan’s green agenda or want to play a greater part in campaigns, The People and Planet society meets Tuesdays 6pm in Harrington 115, or email Lee Bradshaw (SUCampaigns@uclan.ac.uk) for information on the Environment Forum.