Solar power has arrived at the Beeding and Bramber Village Hall

Our environmental impact

That means the Playgroup will be powered by energy from the sun, as will the Bowls Club, the Pilates Group, the Camera Club, and all the other regular users. If you have a cup of tea it will be 100% renewable.

The new solar setup was officially launched at 1.00pm on Saturday 13 August 2022, timed to coincide with Greening Steyning’s monthly Repair Café and Home Energy Helpdesk. Parish and District councillors were there, as well as the Village Hall Trustees, users and others, to celebrate this big step forward in making the Village Hall more sustainable and climate friendly.

System performance update

This is how the new solar system has performed since in was installed on 5 July 2022 – current data runs to 30 September 2023.

CO2 saved = 1.3 tonnes which is the equivalent of driving 3,350 miles in a petrol car, or the same distance if you drive from Lands End to John O’Groats four times! This is the size of a grown elephant!
Approximate money saving = £1,394

The charts below show illustrate the amount of solar power generated; where the solar power goes; and where our electricity comes from.

Solar power by month

Where the solar power goes to

Where the Hall’s electricity comes from

How green is your Village Hall?

The team at Steyning Greening have also created a brilliant new illustration showing the impact the solar panels are having on the village hall.

What’s been done

Here are some of technical details:

• The system is run by 16 photovoltaic (PV) panels, installed on the south-facing back roof.
• It generates 5.9 kW of power on the sunniest days, about twice the output of a typical home PV system.
• Electricity that is not needed is fed into a battery so it can be stored for use when the sun goes in.
• Any excess power is fed back to the grid, generating income for the Village Hall.
• Super-efficient LED lighting has also been fitted throughout the building as part of the same project.
• Taken together, this will cut the building’s CO₂ emissions by an estimated 1.9 tonnes per year, as well as saving a big chunk on energy bills.

Plans for the new system were developed in partnership with Greening Steyning and Brighton & Hove Energy Services Cooperative (BHESCo).  It was funded through a grant from the Horsham District Council Community Climate Fund, and a family bequest.

If you’re thinking of installing a similar system on your home, now is the perfect time to do it.  With energy prices going through the roof, and prices of solar kit falling, the economics of solar PV are looking better than ever.

If you would like to see the array and get some friendly advice on costs and practicalities come along to the Home Energy Helpdesk at the Beeding and Bramber Village Hall, which starts at 14.00 on the second Saturday of every month, excluding December, same time as the Repair Café.

You can book a spot through the Greening website or just turn up on the day.