A specialist school and charity is giving others a lesson in sustainability with its recent investment in solar power.
Chailey Heritage Foundation, based in East Sussex, has so far installed 520 solar panels situated on buildings throughout the site.
Eventually there are plans for a total of 723 solar photovoltaic panels located on pitched and flat roofs covering a total area of 0.14 hectares.
This, it’s believed, will create one of the largest private solar systems in South East England.
David Lewis, the charity’s Estates and Facilities Manager, said:
“We are very proud to be leading the way when it comes to green energy. Each of our 520 solar panels is capable of generating up to 440 watts of renewable electricity. On typical sunny days, the system will likely generate in excess of 200kW of electricity.
“Over the course of a year, we expect it to generate around 220,000 kWh of electricity, roughly equivalent to the electricity consumed by 82 UK households. The solar system should reduce CO2 emissions associated with the site’s electricity supply by 43 tonnes each year, equivalent to taking 21 typical cars off the road.”
Chailey Heritage is already seeing the benefits of solar power. Between 1st February and 1st April this year, 25% of the electricity used by the charity was generated by the new system. But on one of the sunnier weeks in April the solar panels provided 53%.
Chief Executive, Gareth Germer, said:
“As a charity, it’s our responsibility to ensure that our funds are targeted to provide the best possible care, education and life chances for our children and young people – many of whom have the most challenging physical and learning disabilities. Our solar project is key to meeting our sustainability goals and saving money on energy.”
Chailey Heritage Foundation has further enhanced its green credentials by replacing most of the fluorescent light fittings around the site with much more efficient LED lighting and installing new double-glazed windows at the hydrotherapy pool.
Chailey Heritage Foundation is a charity providing education, care and transition services to children and young adults with complex physical disabilities. Their mission is to give disabled children and young adults every opportunity to pursue their fullest potential.
Photovoltaic is the technology of converting sunlight directly to electricity using semi conductor materials.
