• Swindon & Wiltshire Eco
• Wednesday August 7 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Bristol Energy Cooperative instals solar panels at air ambulance base

Solar panels have been installed on the roof of Great Western Air Ambulance‘s airbase by Bristol Energy Cooperative.

The 240 kilowatt peak rooftop array is forecast to produce over 200,000 kilowatt hours per year – enough to power 63 homes.

The electricity generated will help the air ambulance charity to provide critical care services across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and beyond.

The solar panels at the Almondsbury airbase will cut the charity’s annual energy bills by around £7,500 and will save nearly 240 tonnes of CO2 over the project’s lifetime.

The installation is one of many in the project pipeline of the South West Local Solar Scheme.

Bristol Energy Cooperative was awarded over £500,000 in grant funding from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority to deliver the SWLSS, which aims to install two megawatts of rooftop solar capacity across the West of England by 2025.

Bristol Energy Cooperative is also a quarter of the way towards raising £1 million of crowdfunding investment, which will allow it to keep developing these innovative new clean energy projects and partnerships.

The share offer is currently live on Triodos Bank’s crowdfunding platform.

GWAAC CEO Anna Perry and BEC CEO Helen Martin

The air ambulance can reach anyone in need within 20 minutes. It was called out to 1,159 incidents in the first half of this year alone, an increase of 201 incidents from the same period in 2023.

Helen Martin, CEO of Bristol Energy Cooperative, said: “It is really exciting to see the project at GWAAC come to fruition.

“Through the solar installation here, community energy is not only providing local jobs and tackling the climate crisis but also helping to provide a life-saving service for the people who live here.

“It’s all part of our mission to build a power station on Bristol’s rooftops. Everything we do depends on the support of our member investors – we have a share offer open now, which is a great chance for people to get involved and help power these important projects.”

Anna Perry, CEO of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Being a sustainable organisation, in all senses of the word, is so important to all of us at Great Western Air Ambulance Charity.

“We are delighted to be able to do our bit for the environment in partnership with some brilliant local organisations. The rooftop solar panels not only help generate renewable energy, they also bring down our running costs, meaning ultimately more lives can be saved”.

West of England mayor Dan Norris said: “The West of England is leading the charge towards net zero.

“I’m delighted that we have been able to fund the installation of 2 megawatts of solar capacity on the roofs of community buildings, charities and SME’s across our region.

“It’s even better that half of these are in areas of deprivation, meaning the benefits of community energy is helping those that need it most.”