A project designed to help village halls in East Cambridgeshire achieve carbon net zero emissions has been hailed as a spectacular success.
Under the net zero villages scheme, 10 village halls and community facilities were awarded £150,000 in grants to help them install solar panels, storage batteries and other energy efficient measures.
Once installed the solar PV panels are expected to generate nearly 100,000 kWh of electricity and save around 20 tonnes of CO2e every year. This results in an annual financial saving of £20,000 in electricity costs.
The successful applicants included the village halls in Queen Adelaide, Kirtling and Upend, Kennett, Lode, and Little Thetford. Little Thetford used the money to fund insulation as it already had solar panels.
Grants were also provided to Kennett and Little Downham Pavilions, Haddenham Arkenstall, Burwell Mandeville Hall and Burwell Museum, which is also installing a demonstration wind turbine and education hub.
The scheme was run across five local authorities by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and was supported locally by East Cambridgeshire District Council.
It’s estimated the electricity generated from the solar panels on the 9 community buildings is the equivalent to powering around 35 UK homes every year for 30 years.
Robin Swanson, Trustee of Kentford and Kennett Village Hall and McLaren Playing Fields Association, said: “We are delighted and amazed with the results.
“Within a week the team from Cahill Renewables Ltd were able to install 36 PV panels and 3 batteries at the village hall and 21 panels and 3 batteries at our pavilion.
“We’ve downloaded an app which shows us how much energy is generated, how much is stored and how much is going back to the grid.
“As well as helping us meet our environmental objectives, there is a huge cost benefit for the community too.”
Cllr Julia Huffer, district councillor for Fordham and the district council’s environmental champion, said: “This scheme has been a spectacular success. The fact it was oversubscribed within 10 days of being launched proves the huge appetite there is for installing energy efficient measures, such as solar panels, battery storage and installation.”
Paul Bristow, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “I’m pleased that this Combined Authority grant will deliver substantial savings for communities in East Cambridgeshire. It frees up vital funds that can be redirected to the priorities that matter most locally. With energy costs continuing to rise, it's important to help keep valued community facilities thriving well into the future."