A solar hot water system installed at the Environment Agency's Thames region office in Reading could help cut the building's carbon emissions by around 20 per cent, an engineering firm has suggested.The Green Building Press reported this week that the office - which has more than 350 members of staff - has installed a solar hot water system as part of its internal environmental strategy.Jacobs Engineering UK, the consultant engineers on the project, claim the clean energy system could help cut carbon emissions by 26.5 tonnes per year and may help the agency save up to £3,400 per year on office bills."All businesses have an important role in helping to reduce the impact of climate change - and the installation of these solar panels is just one of the ways that we are doing our bit," said Lesley Baxter, facilities technical support officer at the building.The system supplies hot water to the building's canteen - which features a display screen showing how much clean energy has been generated by the water heater - and there are plans to use it to provide hot water to the upper-floor washrooms in the building as well.According to the Energy Saving Trust, solar water heating can be used at home or for a number of larger applications, including swimming pools.