The sun’s rays are to power waste recycling at a London borough when a record 2,500 panels are installed at a council facility.

Southwark Council will hold one of the largest solar power installations in the capital once the PV panels are fully installed, occupying a space equivalent to four football pitches on the roof of the authority’s integrated waste management facility (IWMF).

Panels will capture energy using photovoltaic cells, powering the IWMF to sort the borough’s recyclables and treat black bag waste to create energy for heating and hot water in local homes.

The panels will generate around 674 MWh of energy every year, a carbon saving equivalent to taking Southwark’s entire waste collection fleet off the road for six months.