This project 5MW array near Crewkerne in Somerset is now fully operational. It was financed with the support of local community enterprise South Somerset Community Energy.
In total BWCE raised nearly £3 million in shares and bonds to finance the project alongside a loan from Triodos, the ethical bank. Alongside Portworthy it was one of the first large solar arrays to be community owned. It has been performing slightly below target following the below average levels of sunshine levels we have had over the last couple of years. However, it has over the last year still reduced carbon dioxide emissions by over 1400 tonnes and generated enough electricity to meet the equivalent demand from over 1600 homes.
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Working in collaboration with Stemy Energy and researchers from Comilla University in Madrid to reduce carbon emissions. They have developed the Flex Community smart app which manages home electricity consumption by learning energy requirements, predicting weather patterns and remotely controlling (within pre-set comfort levels) when the immersion heater heats hot water to coincide with when renewable electricity is generating.
This pilot operated in two streets in the Bear Flat area of Bath, designed to test the degree to which a collective community approach could be taken to shifting electricity demand away from peak to off peak times. It integrated the use of domestic solar PV, battery storage and a simulated Time of Use electricity tariff (ToUT).
