WANTED Plymouth community organisations in need of solar

One of our solar schools is being re-built so we have some solar panels that we would love to donate to any local community organisations, social enterprises and charities, based in Plymouth. If you think your organisation might be interested, please read the following considerations and criteria and please contact us with the details asked for below by Thursday 20th January 2022.

The solar panels are six years old but are in excellent working order, have been well-maintained and will continue to generate clean power for years to come. We have over 100 x 250kw panels available.

We will provide the solar panels for free, however there are costs that you will need to consider to install them on your site. You will need:

• An inverter
• A mounting system to connect the panels to the roof
• A qualified electrician to install the solar array (we can connect you with an accredited installer).

Installation costs will vary depending on the size of the installation, type of roof and ease of access.

Orientation: A predominantly south-facing roof will produce the most energy. West/east orientation can also be very effective as it provides more generation in the morning/evening time which can match well with when energy is used. North-facing roofs have lower generation.

Roof: Do you have enough roof space? A single solar panel (250W) is approximately 2m x 1m. You will also need some space around the panels for access and panels can’t be fitted right up to the side of the roof in most cases. Installing solar is a long term commitment so it is also important to ensure that the roof is structurally sound with little to no maintenance work required over the lifetime of the panels.

Shading: It is important that where you wish to situate your solar panels has limited to no shading as this can significantly impact generation.

Energy Use: It is important to understand how much energy your site consumes and at roughly what time of day. You can see how many kWh of energy you consume on your energy bill. As a rule of thumb, 1kW (4 panels) of solar will generate 950 kWh of energy in a year in Plymouth.

Cost: You will need to have additional funds to pay for the costs associated with installing a solar array as outlined above.

Please register your interest by emailing us with the following information by Thursday 20th January 2022:

• Name of organisation
• Location of your building (postcode or Google Maps link) and proposed location for solar panels on roof
• How many panels you think you need
• Your current annual electricity requirements and what you use energy for
• Confirmation that you can cover the extra costs of installation