What motivated you to get solar panels for the roof?
We wanted to make our building more environmentally friendly by generating our own electricity locally. We felt we could set an example for people in the community as well as passers by using our prominent location on the Botley Rd. The local community is well aware of the local (flooding) as well as wider impacts of climate change, and we want to do our bit to help reduce our own impact on it.
Who gave you advice?
Thames Valley Energy gave us contact names of suppliers. We got a lot of useful advice and support from one of those suppliers, James Hoare of Ardenham Energy. His quote for the job was also the most favourable, and so he won the contract as well.
How did you go about selecting the best panels?
We asked for a selection of quotes from people who had done work locally, and we bought as much as we could afford!
How much did they cost, and where did you raise the money from?
They cost about £25,000, and the money was from the West Oxford Community Association, Oxford City Council's Central South and West Area Committee, and from the Trust for Oxfordshire's Environment (TOE) with landfill tax credits from the Waste Recycling Group. We produced a local poster, which we sold at local events in order to raise some of our contribution as well as to raise the profile of the project. People were not only happy to buy the poster, but even made additional voluntary contributions!
How much electricity will they produce?
They will produce about 10% of our annual usage. However, the panels have also inspired us to take various energy-saving actions, such as removing one third of our light bulbs from the overhead lighting units. Noone has even noticed the difference, so that's a massive related energy saving.
What have people said about them?
Everybody loves them. The vicar from St Frideswide's (across the Botley Rd) says he wants some for his church!
What advice would you give to people thinking of doing a similar project?
Start fundraising now and go for as big an array as you can find the money for. So much of the expense is in general costs such as scaffolding that a few thousand more pounds can make a big difference in how much energy you can generate.
What's next ?
We're still working on the interpretation. We have a display meter that shows current and cumulative energy generation. We want to flesh this out with a bit more detail and analysis.
What's your vision of Oxfordshire rising to the climate challenge?
I would like to see all Oxfordshire community centres and schools built, expanded, or refurbished with significant renewable energy sources. As public buildings, community centres and schools have a huge role to play in both demonstrating what is possible and educating people about the benefits of renewable energy. I would like to see planning guidance and implementation revised so as to remove obstacles from installing renewables. I would go further and say that councils and their planners should be requiring the inclusion of renewables on all new and renovated buildings. It only takes a small percentage of extra expense at the building stage to reap long-term financial and environmental rewards. It's so much harder and more expensive to add renewables after the fact!
