Solar panels have been installed onto the roof of All Saints Church on Dunotter Avenue, Eaglescliffe as part of a wider project which helps the local community save energy, money and carbon emissions. Members of the Community Action for Energy Eaglescliffe (CAfEE), an outreach group from the church, planned the solar installation alongside other initiatives in association with The Energy Saving Trust and Stockton Borough Council.

The project was successful in obtaining funding from the EDF Energy Green Fund, The Low Carbon Buildings Programme and the Congregational and General Insurance Charitable Trust following around two years of planning by churchwarden John Doherty.

Sean Collier of Access Renewables comments “We are delighted that the church is now generating their own power after a tough 18 months of raising funds by Mr Doherty. We have worked with him for quite some time to get this project off the ground, assisting with funding applications and working to install the system – which is believed to be the largest of its kind in Teesside. The system not only benefits the church by reducing electricity bills but also serves part of the wider community to promote climate change and energy issues – which is the overall aim of the CAfEE project.”

The installation team at Access Renewables installed fifty-four Sharp solar PV modules which should provide almost 8000kwh of electricity each year, and reducing 112 tonnes of CO2 emissions over the lifetime of the system. The company are also supplying a display unit which records these totals for all visitors and church users to see.

Mr Collier adds “This project is a great example of what can be achieved through community participation in energy issues. As the most local installer to the church, we are delighted that the installation was carried out by local labour and solar modules from a UK manufacturer.”

Village Primary School, Thornaby CE School and Harewood Junior School now have a 1.08kw system installed after Stockton Borough Council successfully received funding from the npower Climate Cops programme which promotes energy issues amongst youngsters. Each system comes complete with a visual display unit which demonstrates the system performance and carbon savings.

Sean Collier of Access Renewables comments “This is the second lot of schools within the Stockton-On-Tees area which we have successfully installed an educational Solar PV system in. The systems are very popular with pupils, staff and visitors and highlight the effects a Solar PV system can have on energy in schools and the home.”

The systems were installed by Stockton-based company Access Renewables, and consisted of modules from North-East Solar PV manufacturer Romag.

Modules mounted in field with recycled plastic framing system near to Whitby, N.Yorks.

Solar panels mounted in a field within the park boundary have been installed and are now producing electricity using the sun, generating around £1,500 in revenue for the system owners each year, which equates to over £37,000 over the expected system lifetime.

High-efficiency solar photovoltaic panels were mounted using a highly-durable, recycled plastic framing solution usually used on flat roofs, which is thought to be the first installation of it’s kind in the UK.

Sean Collier of Access Renewables comments “The client came to us with a request to install a system  in their nearby field. The field had a large gradient so we worked with a local groundwork contractor to propose a solution to the client. We assessed the options and the recycled plastic framing system was identified as the most ideal. It’s originally designed for flat roof installation, but we adapted it to suit the unusual conditions of the field.”

The idea of using solar modules in a field is very common across the continent but uptake in the UK has so far been rather slow. It’s particularly beneficial to farmers and land owners who are looking at investing into the equipment. All it takes is a relatively small area of land which could reap excellent benefits as a result of the Clean Energy Cashback Scheme. Under the scheme, owners of solar PV systems benefit from an excellent financial rewards which are guaranteed for the life of the system. Sean Collier adds “Everyone is waking up to Solar because of the incentives. There is a huge uptake in the North East alone which we are ideally placed to serve. They provide a guaranteed source of income for 25 years – it’s a very attractive proposition and in most cases beats putting your money into savings or pensions.”

Access Renewables is pleased to report an upturn in the number of enquiries and systems being installed since the Clean Energy Cashback Scheme went live on 1^st April 2010.

 

Electricity-producing solar panels have been installed into Ingleby Mill Primary School in Ingleby Barwick and Bader Primary School in Thornaby as part of a programme launched by npower and Stockton Borough Council.

The npower climate cops programme runs green-themed activities for schools across the UK, and provides grants for energy-efficiency projects which are designed to reduce the Carbon Dioxide production and energy costs at the schools. The programme engages pupils with important climate change issues.

The installer chosen by Stockton Borough Council and npower was Middlesbrough-based installer Access Renewables. Sean Collier from Access Renewables said “We were delighted to be part of the programme as installers and we fully support the npower Climate Cops programme as it highlights the importance of energy efficiency in schools. The systems we have installed will save both energy and money for the schools, whilst being a visible reminder to pupils, staff and visitors to the school.”

The systems have also been installed with a display unit in both schools so that pupils can monitor the system performance regularly.  

1. Access Renewables provides a range of systems including solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, wind turbines, ground and air source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting.
2. Access Renewables are certified installers under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.
3. For more information regarding the npower Climate Cops programme, please contact npower press contacts. For comments from Stockton Borough Council, please contact their press contacts directly.

1. Please contact Sean Collier – Access Renewables on 07534 252472 for further information, interviews or images.