Community solar to reduce energy bills in Preston Park

Resident Helen Corcoran with the solar panels

A Brighton neighbourhood has made a major step towards cutting carbon emissions in a first-of-its-kind initiative.

Residents of Preston Park have been signing up to have free solar panels installed on their homes as part of the ‘Preston Park Community Energy’ programme, supported by Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-operative (BHESCo) and the Lewes-based solar installer OneZero.

Those who sign up get free solar panels and batteries, and enter into an
agreement to buy the electricity that is generated.

Ashqua Shaikh from BHESCo said: “Getting people on board at the beginning was tough because we’re trying to do something new, and people are often wary of new ideas. But once people understood the savings they stand to make, we had loads of interest.

“This couldn’t have happened without the dedication and energy from a core team
of volunteers who worked so hard to promote the project, or without the first 11 households who took a leap of faith in the programme."

The first round of installs will see 11 households get solar panels and solar
batteries, with a further five properties signed up for round two.

Reflecting on the journey so far, BHESCo CEO, Kayla Ente MBE, said: “This programme proves that the biggest barriers to clean energy aren’t technical or financial, it’s the fear of the unknown. People worry about risk, about being first, about whether it will really work. But when neighbours see their friends generating their own power, the doubts start to fade. Our job is to build trust and show what’s possible. Preston Park Community Energy is a first-of-a-kind but it’s just the beginning – we want to see projects like this replicated across Sussex and the whole UK.”

Hundreds to save money on energy bills thanks to shared solar project with removals firm

Editor note: This one is just over the border into East Hampshire - but I thought it was worth sharing as a project by Energise South Downs, which covers parts of Sussex. A community energy project involving two neighbouring family businesses in Petersfield will see 200 park home residents save

Hedgerow Heroes hard at work in Sussex

Volunteers of all ages have been hard at work planting new hedgerows on the Manhood Peninsula. Two kilometres of hedgerow – around 10,000 trees – are being planted in Ham, Sidlesham, as part of the latest Hedgerow Heroes project. The project is being run by CPRE Sussex in partnership with the

Help sustain green therapy programmes and double your donation through The Big Give

A Southbourne charity providing life-changing horticultural therapy to vulnerable children and adults is hoping it can raise £4,000 which will be doubled by The Big Give, as rising costs has left it in ‘a really difficult financial position’. Tuppenny Barn is one of a growing number of UK charities

The network upgrade that’s helping nature thrive at Bersted Brooks

Old electricity network poles made redundant by a £3.8 million network upgrade on the edge of Bognor Regis now have a new use – as part of a wildlife habitat. The works by SSE (Scottish and Southern Electricity), close to Bersted Brooks nature reserve, have meant a number of wooden

Read more

Hundreds to save money on energy bills thanks to shared solar project with removals firm

Hedgerow Heroes hard at work in Sussex

Help sustain green therapy programmes and double your donation through The Big Give

The network upgrade that’s helping nature thrive at Bersted Brooks