Solar panels have been affixed to offices in Falkirk, Hamilton, Glasgow, Dumbarton, Elgin, and to the Crown Office in Edinburgh.

Airdrie, in North Lanarkshire, is the most recent location to join the green initiative. In November alone, a total of 132 panels were installed and are currently generating 61 KWH – the energy equivalent to power 20 average homes. COPFS reported that on sunny days the building frequently achieves self-sufficiency, with no need to draw power from the national grid.

It is predicted that this office alone will bring about a saving of 8.7 tonnes of carbon each year.

The investment in renewable energy throughout 2022 led to a 126 per cent increase in solar generation in COPFS buildings. This development is reducing the service’s energy demand from the national grid throughout the year, with the panels still functional on overcast days.

The transition to renewable energy began in 2015, with the installation of the first panels on the roof of the Falkirk procurator fiscal offices. These initial panels generated 3200 KWH annually, equivalent to boiling a kettle 13,000 times.

In 2022, however, an additional 34 more efficient panels were installed on the building’s east-facing side, resulting in a surge in energy savings of almost 80 per cent.

The Glasgow office is also producing substantial quantities of renewable energy each year. Its 106 panels generated over 16,500 KWH of power last year, and new panels are anticipated to generate an additional 25,000 KWH by the end of this year.

The targets are all linked to those established by the COPFS Climate Change Working Group. Overall, the service aims to achieve total carbon neutrality by 2040 through a strategy of reducing their properties’ carbon emissions by 2.5 per cent per year.

Les Brown, procurator fiscal for South Lanarkshire, said: “The procurator fiscal office at Airdrie is showing the art of the possible, modern working places with cutting-edge sustainable energy solutions.

“Given that the technology will continue to improve and become more efficient, I am sure that with the assistance and support of our staff, we can make our workplaces carbon neutral in the future, meeting our commitments.

“I’m very proud that our offices in SSDG are playing such an important role in leading the way in the use of renewable energy.”