The Harbour Lights business is a café, restaurant and holiday letting rooms with beautiful views across the harbour in Littlehampton. Their pitched East/West-facing roof presented the perfect opportunity to make use of solar PV which is especially beneficial for them in their busy summer months.
The Harbour Lights received a £17,900 grant from the Community Solar Accelerator scheme to install a 31 kW solar PV system on their premises. 68 solar panels were installed at the site on their large sloping roof.
The system is estimated to produce at least 28,000kWh of electricity annually and save the business over £4,200 in electricity each year.
With ever increasing electricity prices, the savings are a welcome benefit to the business, estimating a payback of 4-6 years. “In the current climate, savings to the business electricity costs are needed and we can see solar helping this, [..] We are seen to do everything we can to reduce our electricity costs and impact on the environment.”
Solar Impact in Numbers
Size or Solar PV array: 31 kWp
Predicted production of electricity: 28,000 kWh per year
Predicted cost savings: £4,200 in the first year – this is expected to increase in the following years with increased cost per kWh of electricity.
Return on Investment: 4-6 years
Grant Amount Received: £ 17,900
Expected lifetime of the solar PV system: 25-30 years
Carbon Reduction: 9.8 tonnes CO2e* per year
Install date: April 2023
*CO2e calculated with conversion factor of 0.35156kg CO2e/kWh as confirmed with the managing authority.
