The organisers of a community solar power programme in Brighton are encouraging people to sign up to beat the latest electricity price rises.
The Preston Park Community Energy programme aims to be Britain’s first community-scale solar power programme and is reaching out to residents.
The initiative is being led by former Green councillor Elaine Hills, with the help of local community energy co-op BHESCo and Lewes-based solar installer OneZero.
They invited people in the area to an event at Preston Park Cricket Club to hear more about the programme and why they should get involved.
Those taking part in the programme won’t pay anything to have the solar panels installed. They will pay only for the electricity that they use that has been generated by the panels.
Over the lifetime of the programme, the organisers said, each household is expected to save around £5,300.
Ms Hills told a near-capacity audience: “We have an amazing opportunity to bring a community solar energy project to life.
“I believe that this project and projects like it could actually revolutionise our energy provision.
“That’s a lofty statement – but, instead of handing our money to major energy companies, we’ll be part of a community-run clean energy service that will keep our energy costs lower and keep profits in the community.
“While we have the backing of BHESCo, this is a community-led project, which means local people will be at the heart of it.”
BHESCo founder and chief executive Kayla Ente said: “We tried a similar project in Hove but we weren’t able to get enough participation.
“I understand that this is a new concept and people are hesitant to enter into these new kinds of things.
“So we have to keep talking about it, keep bringing the idea into new communities until we reach a breaking point – and I’m hoping that Preston Park will become that breaking point.
“And we’re going to show the rest of the country what can be done when we work together.”
Howard Johns, of OneZero, said: “By continuing to buy energy as we have been, we’re giving thousands of pounds a year to companies that are doing stuff that we really don’t want to do any more, like drilling for more oil and gas, shipping it across the ocean and funding despotic regimes around the world.
“It’s amazing the amount of money we’re giving to these guys but we can stop doing that if we build our own energy systems like this one.”
Solar panels can help people to cut their energy bills and carbon emissions – not least as the energy regulator Ofgem last week announced a 6.7 per cent price rise from Tuesday 1 April. Another increase is expected in July.
The aim of locally led renewable energy projects like Preston Park Community Energy is to bring down long-term energy costs, take advantage of new market innovations as they arise and help people reduce their carbon emissions.
The government has set a target to decarbonise the country’s entire electricity supply by 2030 – and Brighton and Hove City Council aims to be a carbon-neutral city by 2040.
For more information on the Preston Park Community Energy programme, visit www.prestonparkcommunityenergy.org.
I assume OneZero will be making money out of this scheme while financing the solar panels installation?
A savings of £5,300 over the expected 25 year life of a Solar PV system is only about £200 per year and more could be saved by choosing energy supplier tarrifs that have lower energy prices outside 1600-1900 peaks.
Perhaps home owners should look at installing systems themselves including adding batteries to store excess solar generated power, load cheaper power overnight for use during the day.
If looking at decarbonising perhaps look more at improving insulation and possibly switching to heat pumps.
I thought Brighton and Hove City Council promised to make the city #NetZero by 2030 – have they now gone back on this commitment?
I would advise against anyone leasing their house roof to anyone for panels. Makes selling your house nearly impossible.
We had them installed haven’t saved a penny. You need to go on a solar tariff but your not allowed because you don’t own the solar panel it’s a scam
Yes – according to the article One Zero own the panels and will get money from the energy suppliers for the energy they export to the grid. They will charge you for any of that power you used, but no details of the price.
If you owned the PV system yourself you’d get any power you used for free – and get the export payments.
I always get worried about economics when a Green Party councillor supports a scheme.
Not only have we had hardly any sun this year, but everyone including councils are still buying old stock solar panels which cover whole roofs but hardly yield any power. The new generation are much smaller and far more effective. Another Green scandal in the making after electric cars and unrenewable wind turbine bird slicers.
You can get solar panels for about 5K and sell the power all day long, especially good if your out a lot of the time not using power. Adds value to the house too and being the sunniest part of the UK it’s a bit mental we haven’t all chucked them on the roofs.
But I’m not sure about this idea, never been a fan of leasing anything tbh, why introduce a middle man.