Background
The Brighton Road Baptist Church in Horsham is an independent church dating back to 1894.
The building has undergone serveral rebuilds and renovations over the past 125 years, with the most current incarnation being opened as recently as 2008.
The building is a modern, contemporary design that has been created to meet the needs of its vibrant 21st Century congregation. The large sloping roof makes the property an ideal candidate for solar power, and the trustees decided to enlist the help of BHESCo turn this from concept into reality.
The church already engages in a variety of ecologically friendly and sustainable practices, and the addition of rooftop solar panels will make Brighton Road Baptist Church one of only four Gold Rated Eco Churches in the UK.
Project Delivery
To understand how much of the church’s energy demand could be met by the addition of a rooftop solar PV array, BHESCo undertook a comprehensive survey of the premises in addition to carefully studying their historic energy bills.
Following a consultation with the Brighton Road Baptist Church Trustees, it was decided to install a 30kW peak array, using JA Solar 275w Multicrystalline Panels. Once installed, we expect the system to meet a considerable proportion of the building’s electricity needs.
The solar panel array will be installed by our partners from Energy Creation.
Project Costs and Savings
The upfront cost of £25,411 will be paid for by BHESCo’s shareholders and the panels will be leased to the church for a period of 20 years.
During this time the electricity generated from the solar panels will be sold to the church at a price substantially below that offered by even the cheapest energy suppliers. As a result of purchasing their electricity from BHESCo, we expect the church to save £30,600 on their energy bills during the lease period.
Once the lease has been repaid to BHESCo’s shareholders, the church will own the solar panels and enjoy the full benefit of all the electricity they generate for free.
In addition to saving the church an estimated £1,530 each year on their energy bills, we expect the solar panel array to reduce the annual carbon emissions of the building by 9.7 tonnes (the same amount of pollution as would be expelled by 22 Trans-Atlantic flights from London to New York).
Equipment Installed
30kW Solar PV Array
Annual Savings
Fundraising
BHESCo are seeking to raise the funds for this project from our local community by inviting individuals and organisations to become member shareholders of our co-operative.
When you become a shareholder you will receive a 5% return* on your investment and know that your savings are reducing carbon emissions and having a positive impact on the community.
You will be able to vote on the future direction of our business and join a community energy movement that is transforming the UK energy landscape for good.
The minumum investment amount is £250. Take a look at the benefits when you become an investor and APPLY TODAY.
FUNDING TARGET – £25,411
Bring this community energy project to life by investing in BHESCo today
