BRIGHTON & HOVE SOLAR SCHOOLS Brighton and Hove City Council have approved contractors to put FREE SOLAR PV on the city’s schools - saving schools up to 50% of their electricity bills
SCHOOLS I GET SET FOR SOLAR
n June 2018, Brighton and Hove City Council approved contractors to install large solar arrays on the rooftops of up to fifty of the city's schools.
This exciting idea means Brighton and Hove schools can - at no cost - save many thousands of pounds on their electricity bills via cheap solar electricity, as well as saving tons of CO2 along the way. Brighton and Hove schools are free to choose whether or not they would like to host solar PV, and who among the approved contractors they would like to undertake the work. Solar installed will be free, paid for by either community investors or other third parties.
How it Works
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The Mini-Competition Initially, schools register their interest with the 3 organisations BHCC has approved to carry out the solar work. These organisations then design a potential solar system and estimate savings on electricity bills.
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Installation The contractor builds, commissions and tests the solar installation, gets everything registered and puts in place an ongoing maintenance agreement.
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Decision and Investment The school then decides which of the organisations it would like to carry out the work; this contractor then pays for the solar system. As the only communityowned contractor, BEC gets its funds from the investment of local people.
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Benefits Cheap solar electricity means the School saves thousand of pounds each year; and everyone benefits from reduced CO2 in the atmosphere!
Case Study: BEC Helps Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) Go Green
In 2016 Portslade Alridge Community Acadamy worked with Brighton Energy Coop to built a 100kWp solar system on several PACA roofs. In the first full year of operation, the solar system at PACA saved the school £5,800 on electricity bills.
Case Study: PACA
Step 1: Assessment On receiving the PACA's interest in a community-owned solar scheme, early in 2016 we commissioned a structural survey of the PACA buildings, and our accredited installation partner designed and costed a potential installation. Based on PACAs existing electricity spend we then produced a financial proposal for senior management, estimating the school would save £5000 a year on its electricity bills. After discussion with the board, the school gave the green light.
At no cost to PACA; BEC’s solar PV provides PACA with year-round cheap, green electricity Step 2: Funding Brighton Energy Coop then ran a community share offer to fund the total £82,000 cost of the PACA system. 32 BEC members both old and new invested the required capital within a 3-week period.
£82,000 invested to fund the PACA system - in just 3 weeks! Step 3: Installation Liaising regularly with PACA management we oversaw the project build with our contractors following the appropriate regulations, signing off risk assessments & method statements agreed by the Facilities Manager. We ensured all the processes covered by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) were followed and requisite electrical testing performed before commissioning.
Saving thousands on electricity each year means PACA has more money to spend where it matters Step 4: Benefits In the first full year of operation the Brighton Energy Coop solar system on PACA’s roof saved the school £5,800 on the school’s electricity bills. Over the lifetime of the system PACA’s savings will top £100,000, a great achievement between two progressive community organisations.
Balfour Primary School Benfield Primary School Bevendean Primary School Blatchington Mill School Brackenbury Primary School Brighton And Hove Pupil Referral Unit, Cedar Centre Brighton And Hove Pupil Referral Unit, Lynchett Close Brunswick Primary School Carden Primary School Carlton Hill Primary School Cedar Centre Coldean Primary School Coombe Road Primary School Dorothy Stringer School Downs Infant School Downs Junior School Downs Park School Downs View School Elm Grove Primary School Fairlight Primary School Goldstone Primary School Hangleton Primary School Hertford Infant School Hertford Junior School Hillside The installation of solar on fifty of Brighton's schools will be a largescale community endeavour. Yet it's important to note that time is of Homewood College the essence: the government subsidy that supports solar energy - the Hove Junior School Feed in Tariff - ends in March 2019. That means we have just a year Hove Park School that's one installation every two weeks. Longhill School Middle Street Primary School To take advantage of this forward-thinking council initiative, contact Brighton Energy Coop (BEC) on info@brightonenergy.org.uk for more Mile Oak Primary School information. Moulsecoomb Primary School Patcham High School Patcham Infant School Patcham Junior School Peter Gladwin Primary School Queens Park Primary School Royal Spa Nursery School Rudyard Kipling Primary School Saltdean Primary School St Lukes Primary School St Peter's School Stanford Infant School Stanford Junior School Tarnerland Nursery School The Connected Hub, Tilbury House Varndean School West Blatchington Primary School West Hove Infant School Westdene Primary School Woodingdean Primary School Hangleton Community Centre, Hove Hollingdean Community Centre, Thompson Road, Manor Road Gymnasium, Ovingdean Village Hall, Ovingdean Road Rottingdean Hall, Park Road, Woodingdean Boys Club
TIME TO ACT
SOME OF OUR PV SYS -
Park Gate,Hove : In November 2015 we completed work at Park Gate, a block of 40 flats just Anne s Well Gardens (above). More than 400 panels are now installed across the four roofs in an East
Shed 10, Shoreham Maidstone United: the Port:In 2013 we -in Gallagher Stadium stalled a large solar (right) is home to - Maid system on Shed 10, stone United FC. BEC Shoreham Port (right). owns 148kWp of With 880 panels this is community-funded solar the largest here & will provide clean Shed 3a, Shoreham St George s Church: we Port:in June 2014 we installed a 10kw PV system installed a PV system on on the south-facing roof of Shed 3a in Shoreham St George s Church in Port (left). This array Kemptown in August 2012 covers the east/west (left). Electricity feeds int roof and generates more the community centre in than 200,000kWh of the crypt below the church electricity each year.
Forboth the components of our systems, ou Your roof is a great resource for verters and framing systems hold manu electricity and cost savings, but it is ranties for also the 20-year lifetime of e additionally of course an integral part of- your build our solar PV systems hol ing. Hence we always commission,guarantee at no from our installers. cost to you, a full structural survey prior to Our installers use a variety of installer partner installation. We also carry out We regular maintenance and hold full insurance and warranty protection.
Structural Survey To ensure that there is no doubt over roof integrity, we commission an independent structural surveyor to assess your roof. A typical PV installation weighs around 0.15kg per square metre: that s considerably lighter than a heavy snowfall and should be well within your roof s load ing capacity.
Regular Maintenance We also carry out regular maintenance, checking the roof every 6 months, giving you complete peace of mind. Our panels form a protective barrier for your roof and provide an extra layer of protection. However, should you need to do work to your roof, individual panels can be moved temporarily - to allow ac cess to the affected area.
Insurance
are The well-being of your roof is insured via our certified by the Microgeneration Cert ÂŁ10,000,000 public liability insurance, which(MCS) covers andany regulated by government-app damage to your building arising from negligence our that the quality of our in Thisonmeans part. We also have comprehensive maintenance manship scheduleand competence is overseen by with our installers to prevent any impact on tice your approved roof. by the Trading Standard They hold similar public liability insurances. All the products we use satisfy rigor international standards, from panels down to the final grid connection.
Components
Warranties
IN 2014 OUR SOLAR LAND LORDS REDUCED THEIR ELEC TRICITY SPENDBY AN
Some of the organisations that we currently work with in the Brighton area inclu George’s Church and City Coast Church. Shoreham Port were so keen on working wit - they commissioned two more PV systems to supply them with more cheap electrici increasing our solar generation
Case Study: City Coas Church
In June 2012 Brighton Energy Coop installed m 100 solar panels on City Coast Church in Port the money saved on their electricity bill the been putting on various community events:
Manager Simon Lewis told the Shoreham Herald: the cost savings and environmental benefits o BEC s solar panels are important, it s the work the schem to do in the community that s really valuable
At our annual carol service, not only did we food and drink for people, but we were able t money for domestic abuse charity Rise on the