Eve’s story
I have worked within Bath & West Community Energy’s (BWCE) asset development team for the past year and a half, and I’ve learnt that each project is unique.
My role involves growing BWCE’s renewable energy generation portfolio, with a focus on rooftop solar, ground-mount solar and wind turbine schemes. I have been involved in 9 of BWCE’s installed rooftop solar arrays on schools and community buildings, and many of their ground-mount solar and wind turbine projects that are in progress. I see these projects from start to finish, from finding the sites, through development and to final commissioning.
In the last few years BWCE have :
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- Installed over 2MW of rooftop solar projects at no capital cost to the sites involved.
- Saved local schools and businesses tens of thousands of pounds annually through significantly cheaper electricity (of the sites we have installed on over the last 3 years, we estimate to save them more than £1,225,000 in total over the next 25 years).
- Notably reduced carbon emissions in our local area (in the first year after commissioning alone, we estimate to save a total of over 400 tonnes across all our rooftop projects).
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Projects like these can’t be completed by BWCE alone –
They begin with local investment, and along the way include liaison with the site, legal teams, department for education, local councils, scaffolders, installers, electricians, storage and delivery teams, and asset management post-installation.
Coordinating all of these can be challenging, and there are inevitably complications in every project, but once the solar panels have been installed and commissioned, it is all worth it.
The theme of this year’s Community Energy Fortnight is empowerment, this is exactly how I feel in this industry, it’s a privilege to be able to take direct action in tackling climate change. As a geographer, this has always been important to me.
Eve’s site spotting top tips
Rooftops for solar projects
- 250m2 pitched roof or 600m2 flat roof.
- Good condition roof (ideally metal material
- High onsite electricity consumption
Sites for solar farms or wind projects
- Flat field or a gentle south-facing slope 5 acres or more
- Near substations or powerlines
- Access from the road
We have more solar projects in the pipeline to be installed this year, which is why it is so important we are able to raise enough money through our community share offer to achieve this.
Interested in investing but want to know more?
Attend our free webinar during Community Energy Fortnight.
Buying shares in Community Energy – an ethical investment for you, your community and the planet.
Thursday 11th July 1-2pm
