Advancing the transition from fossil fuels to renewables in our energy supply
Introducing renewable energy and energy-saving systems in a community centre offers exceptional benefits. It reduces operating expense by lowering heat and power costs, allowing more funds to be directed toward community support and cohesive programmes.
Clean energy sources, like solar power, protect the community building from volatile energy prices, decrease the centre’s carbon footprint, encourage environmental sustainability while setting a positive example for residents.
Such initiatives can foster education and awareness about sustainable practices, encouraging residents to adopt similar measures at home, while communicating the benefits of taking power in their own hands. Over time, the community centre becomes a model of environmental responsibility, a hub for community engagement around climate change and a demonstrator of community empowerment.
Project background
The Hollingdean Community Centre (HCC) is located in one of the Brighton’s most diverse and vibrant wards but also one of the most economically deprived. It is managed by the Hollingdean Development Trust – a charity dedicated to addressing issues that arise from poverty and improving education within the local area.
Since 2014, BHESCo has provided advice and support at the HCC, helping local residents manage the increasing costs of their gas and electricity bills. It was during that time that the Trustees requested BHESCo’s help.
In an age of tight budgets and funding cuts, the Trustees were eager to identify ways to reduce their operating costs, freeing up funds to be used more productively for the benefit of the residents in the community.
Furthermore, many of the Directors of the Hollingdean Community Trust are involved in local climate activism and had a strong desire to take action to reduce the environmental impact of the building and their activities as much as possible.
Recommended improvements
The BHESCo Project Team conducted multiple surveys of the site, gathering data to support the design of a comprehensive decarbonisation plan for the building. A report was submitted to the Hollingdean Development Trust for review, which recommended the following improvements:
- 4kW rooftop solar PV – to generate on-site renewable energy
- 170mm mineral wool roof insulation – to improve thermal comfort
- 2 x cold water jackets – to improve water heat retention
- 35mm insulative pipe lagging – to improve water heat retention
- 56 LED lights – to reduce lighting costs by 90%
- Reflector foil behind external wall radiators – to reduce heat loss
Installing the energy improvements
BHESCo served as project manager for all energy improvement works, sourcing the most cost-competitive quotes from local installers while overseeing the installation of various energy saving and energy generating measures over a number of weeks.
Project financing
All costs, totalling £9,564 were paid for with reserves from the Hollingdean Development Trust.
Project performance analysis
The tables below with actual data verify the estimates that BHESCo provided to the HCC Trustees in our initial report from 2017. The graph presents the electricity consumed from the community centre’s energy supplier for the period from October 2020 to September 2024 compared to 2016, the year before the solar panels were installed. In these 9 years, their electricity price increased from 10p/kWh to 38p/kWh an increase 75%!
The rise in consumption starting in Year 5 can be attributed to the repurposing of an outbuilding for food storage which included the installation of four refrigerators.
Since the system was installed, the community centre has been paid £2,312 from the UK Government’s Feed-in-Tariff, for which they will remain eligible until 2043.
Hollingdean Community Centre has reduced its CO2 emissions by 2.2 tonnes since the solar panels were installed. This is equivalent to planting 101 tree saplings.
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