Our newest installation at Lichfield Leisure Centre is operating well and exceeding output forecasts, helped of course by the lengthy sunny period over this summer. We are very hopeful of imminent progress with our project to install over 600kWh of solar PV on Stafford County Hospital which we have been working on for some time with support from the previous Community Energy Fund and Energy Redress.
The project was delayed by the rejection of our application for a grid connection earlier this year. However, after further discussion and a re-application It looks very likely that this will be approved very shortly and we can begin to finalise preparations for installation, hopefully early next year. This large project will build on our award-winning Keep Warm Keep Well partnership with University Hospitals of the North Midlands NHS Trust and Staffordshire’s fuel poverty charity, Beat the Cold, and is expected to generate over £500,000 in support for the fuel poor in the region over the life of the agreement with the hospital Trust in addition to the savings on energy bills and carbon emissions.
All being well installation is programmed for early next year, probably with a bridging loan in the first instance followed by a share raise in the late spring when members and others will have the opportunity to support this wonderful new phase in our development.
Other Projects
We are in discussion with an Academy Trust regarding installations on a number of their schools. Recent intervention by Department for Education in the procurement of PV in schools has somewhat clouded the picture but we are continuing to evaluate the potential of the schools in the Trust while waiting for some clarity about how the DfE intends to progress matters.
Under our Energetic Communities project (also Energy Redress funded) we are working with local communities in four areas across Staffordshire – in Burntwood (Lichfield District), Highfields (Stafford Borough), Stapenhill (East Staffs Borough) and Kinver (South Staffs) to produce Energy plans by 31st March. We have recently appointed Carbon Coop to work with us on the preparation of these plans through a series of community meetings. They are a very experienced team from Manchester who have previously worked on a similar Energy Futures project in Oldham as a model for similar projects elsewhere https://oldhamenergyfutures.carbon.coop/about/
