Northleaze Primary School
The 194-panel array installed at Northleaze Primary is North Somerset’s first community-owned school solar PV system.
GENERATING OVER
of clean energy per year
Solar panel installations for community centres, schools, churches & more.
Solarsense is a firm believer in the power of community solar projects and is working to actively promote their take-up throughout the UK. From community centres to churches, Solarsense has helped a wide range of community groups to benefit from solar PV.
We support local groups through the full process from assessing the site or building, developing planning applications through to design, installation and monitoring of the system.
Community solar can be developed in many ways, from installing on a community centre or church, through to the development of a community owned solar park. The key is that the system is owned by the community so the benefits are enjoyed by the local community, rather than investors or companies from outside the local area.
With many community solar projects, members of the local community are invited to invest in the development. In the case of community solar parks, returns on investment of 7% are common, with preference given to local investors.
Even after paying the interest due to individual investors, many community solar projects generate excess profits. These funds are generally invested back into local community initiatives providing year-on-year benefit to the local community.
Community solar projects generate clean electricity which is used locally. A building with solar on it’s roof will consume the electricity it generates and reduce its carbon footprint. Electricity that is not used on-site (100% of the energy in the case of a community solar park) can be consumed by homes and businesses connected to the local electricity grid, effectively greening the local energy supply and reducing the carbon footprint of the community as a whole.