Studley Green Community Centre has lived up to its name with an NGRE-installed solar system that will offset more than an estimated 6.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
The Centre’s trustees hope the move will make the Centre a ‘green’ beacon for the local community, doing its bit in the struggle against climate change, with an electric vehicle charging point also on the wish list.
The project, made possible with grants from the North West Chilterns Community Board and Low Carbon Workspaces, with support from Buckinghamshire Community Energy, is also expected to save more than £500 a year.
Philippa Fibert, Chair of Studley Green Community Centre Management Committee, said: “We all need to pull together against climate change and we wanted to play our part.
“We wanted to upgrade the Community Centre in a green way, reduce our reliance on oil and make cost savings too.”
She added: “We also hope that if we take the initiative, that might send a message to the local community and hopefully inspire others.”
Greg Bishop, Managing Director of NGRE, said: “At the edge of an open field, with a large south-west-facing roof, the community centre is in an ideal location for solar panels and will produce a great deal of the electricity this busy hub uses.
“We are delighted to able to help this community make their vision a reality.”
The System
The PV system comprises a 16m x 4m array made up of 36 JA solar monocrystalline panels, for a potential 13.32 kWp and is connected to a Solis 10 kW inverter.
CO2 Offset and Energy
It is estimated that the system could offset as much as 6.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year while producing 12,507 kWh of energy, some of which will be exported to the Grid adding to its renewable capacity and paying back into the Community Centre’s revenue.
Savings – £500 plus
Kirsty Shanahan, Development Director of Buckinghamshire Community Energy, was instrumental in helping the Community Centre’s Committee understand the type and size of system that would work best for them, and project-managed the upgrades required to the Centre’s electricity system and supply.
She said: “We supported Philippa and the Committee to a point where they could get various quotes and NGRE came out on top. We then had to upgrade the distribution board and get the third phase reconnected to ensure the system could cope with the size of the solar array.
“I would estimate the Centre will save between £500 and £700 per year on electricity as the majority of their use is daytime.”
NGRE
Philippa said: “NGRE came recommended to us by a trustee who had had a system installed by Greg and his team and was impressed.
“They have certainly lived up to that. The installation was quick and trouble-free and we’re very pleased.” Our hirers commented on how respectful NGRE were during the installation.
What Next for Studley Green?
Philippa added: “We’re now looking at installing an EV point – we’ll do that as and when funds become available.”
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NGRE specialise in the supply of the latest renewable solutions for community projects, homeowners, architects and builders Oxfordshire and surrounding areas and have more than 10 years’ experience.