Portslade Academy – no cost solar PV installation by Brighton Energy Coop – annual electricity savings (£):
Community-Owned Solar for Brighton and Hove Schools
in 2019, Brighton Energy Coop rolled out a programme of free solar on our city’s schools.
Our host schools now have free solar panels on their roofs, have cut their carbon emissions and also save significant amounts on their electricity bills. Our pilot project with Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA), has saved 105 tonnes of CO2 since 2016 (the equivalent of planting 350 trees) and saves the Academy £5800 each year.
The rollout of solar PV on Brighton and Hove schools was a great community effort. Have a look below for the full list of schools involved, how it works.
We’re working with:
Woodingdean Primary
Coldean Primary
Carden Primary
Hove Park Upper School
Hertford Juniors and Infants
Balfour Juniors
Lindfield Primary
Rudyard Kipling Primary
Blatchington Mill School
Lindfield Primary
Hove Park Lower School
Desmond Anderson Primary
Ore Valley College
Hillborw Sports Centre, part of the University of Brighton – no cost solar PV installation by Brighton Energy Coop – annual electricity savings (£):
How the Schools Project Worked
In the past ten years BEC has raised just short of £3,000,000 from the local community, and built more than 60 large solar installations. Here’s how it worked for the schools project:
Step 1 - Community Funding
We crowd-funded the costs of the school solar PV systems. Our 600+ investor-members receive 5% on their investments – and will do as long as they remain members.
Step 2 - Installation
Our contractors built, commissioned and tested the solar installations, got everything registered and perform any ongoing maintenance.
Step 3 - Benefits
The schools receive ongoing cheap electricity, often saving several thousand pounds a year on their bills – and everyone benefits from reduced CO2 in the atmosphere!