Chester Community Energy is delighted to announce that they have been awarded a Great British Energy Community Fund grant of over £28,000 to help with the set-up costs of a new solar panel installation on Hebden Green Community School in Winsford. The project will result in the installation of a  >80kWp array that will supply the school with green energy throughout the year. This will support in reducing the school’s operating costs and allow them to allocate more vital funds towards directly supporting children.

 

The array will be owned and operated by CCE, which is a Community Benefit Company. The capital funding for the project will be raised by selling shares to members of the public.

 

CCE currently own and operate 3 other installations in Cheshire West generating electricity from solar arrays on the roofs of Northgate Arena, Neston Sports Centre and Christleton Sports Centre. The electricity is sold to the sports centres at a cost significantly less than would be paid on the open market. Excess revenue from the sale of electricity is paid into a “Community Benefit Fund”. This pays out grants to local groups to help them decarbonise. Since its inception in 2015, CCE has paid out more than £30,000 from this benefit fund.

 

CCE board spokesperson Dr. Gillian McHattie said “We’re delighted with this grant allocation; it means that we can go ahead and help decarbonise the school by providing them with green energy whilst also significantly reducing their electricity bills. Since this array is 100% community owned, the financial benefits are shared with local people; both those who want to invest in the project, and also those local community groups who will be recipients of grants from the Community Benefit Fund over the next 25 years.”