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 money on their energy bills.

The project will see rooftop solar on warehouses at removals firm Reeves of Petersfield Ltd, which trades as Britannia Reeves, provide power to 140 park homes on the neighbouring Broadway Park site - as well as meeting the electricity needs of the business. The funding for the project came via Energise South Downs, which runs primarily on investment from local people.

It means the residents of Broadway Park, an over-50s park home site, will see substantial savings on their energy bills. On one cold November day, a large portion of the site’s energy needs were met by the solar at midday - showing it's not just the summer months that solar pays off.

Roly Foster, manager of the Broadway Park site, said: “Since the launch everyone has been really positive about it. Everybody was talking about it and really buzzing. It is very much a community-based project, and it’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

Residents, who are billed every three months for their electricity use, will receive their first discounted bill in December.

Mike has lived at Broadway Park for eight years, and it was a conversation between himself and Energise South Downs CEO Catriona Cockburn which sparked the idea. They discovered that solar panels on the warehouses at Reeves of Petersfield Ltd, a low-energy user, would meet all its electricity needs, with plenty to spare for neighbouring Broadway Park.

The project was funded by a share offer through ethical funding platform Ethex, which saw £300,000 raised in the summer for several projects including this one.

Mike said: “We’re hoping it’s going to bring the bills down. It’s an ongoing saving - there are lots of things in life that you save on once but these savings go on 365 days a year. We don’t know how much we’ll save yet but if it’s £10 a month we’ll get an extra cup of coffee, if it’s £100 we’ll go on a cruise!”

The sustainability aspect was important for Mike too. He added: “We’ve got to remember this is God’s world, it’s only one planet and we all need to play our part. The more we pull together, the more we make a difference. And solar energy has got a part to play in that.”

Doreen and Beryl are neighbours at Broadway Park, and also welcomed the move.

Doreen said: “I think it’s a great idea. Obviously for me, being a pensioner, it makes a big difference. With the cost of living, the elderly generation feels it more, so that’s why I love the solar panels, helping us with the cost of electricity. And anything that helps our planet is wonderful.”

Beryl added: “The way the prices are increasing, it’s very difficult to keep up and very difficult to budget. And we all have to do our bit in using sustainable energy because I’m sure at some stage what is under the ground is going to run out. And with climate change we can’t just think of ourselves, we have to think of our grandchildren too.

“So the solar idea was brilliant and I think we’re all in favour of it, and I’m looking forward to seeing the results.”

With a long history in the town, Reeves of Petersfield Ltd has just marked 125 years and Broadway Park is celebrating 80 this year. And the families know each other well, with the grandfathers going to school together, so there’s a real community feel to the project.

Darren Reeves, co-director of Reeves of Petersfield Ltd, said: “For me, putting the solar panels on was a no brainer.

“My family has been in Petersfield since 1912, we’ve been situated here on the Causeway next to Broadway Park Homes for years and years. We’ve known each other's families for years. About 12 months ago, Energise South Downs approached our company to use all the roof space to put solar energy to power Broadway Park Homes and we thought this is a fantastic idea.”

Catriona Cockburn, CEO of Energise South Downs, added: “This really is community energy at its best, two local businesses coming together to share energy.”

This project was supported by the Greater South East Net Zero Hub. They are administering the Great British Energy Community Fund which has been established to help kickstart projects including small-scale wind farms and rooftop solar partnerships, as well as battery storage, rural heat networks, electric vehicle charging points, and fuel poverty alleviation schemes. The project opened with £5m available to town and parish councils, community organisations, sports teams, charities and faith groups across England – helping to generate clean, home grown energy which local people can benefit from.

More information can be found at: https://communityenergyengland.org/pages/community-energy-fund

This article was commissioned by the Local Storytelling Exchange.