Studley Green Community Centre goes solar

Studley Green Community Centre has lived up to its name with a solar photovoltaic 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 wishlist.

The project, made possible with grants from the North West Chilterns Community Board and Low Carbon Workspaces, with advice and project management 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 gas and make considerable cost savings too.”

She added: “We also thought that if we took the initiative, became trail-blazers, that would send a message to the local community and hopefully inspire others.”

Greg Bishop, Managing Director of Next Generation Renewable Energy, who installed the system, 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 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.

It is estimated that the generation from the solar panels 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.

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 provided technical advice and support to this inspirational and proactive Committee, led by their incredibly hard-working Chair, after they had already got quotes and funding approved for the project. We then had to upgrade the distribution board and work with the DNO to 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.”

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.”

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.”

Inspired by Studley Green Community Centre? Get in touch to see if we can support your solar project on info@buckscommunityenergy.org.