A CHURCH in Rugby will become more efficient and eco-friendly after it was awarded £23,000 from Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) Green Shoots Fund.
St George’s Church will use the funds to install roof solar panels which will power the church hall, minimising energy bills.
The panels will allow the Hillmorton church to generate up to 25kW of renewable energy, the majority of which will be exported back into the local grid – thus reducing carbon emissions.
The project took shape after the church said, via its parish newsletter Link, that it wanted to help the Church of England meet its pledge to be carbon neutral by 2030. A resident then told the church about the Green Shoots Fund and a bid was prepared.
The roof of St George’s was identified as an ideal installation place for solar panels, with over 400 square meters of flat surface allowing the installation of 70 panels.
The church has been developing awareness of environmental issues within the community as well as encouraging residents to engage fully in protecting the environment.
A proportion of the electricity generated will be used to power the heat pump, lights and appliances in the church hall, which is used by a wide range of community groups, from a regular playgroup to Brownies, coffee mornings and yoga classes.
The project will reduce the church’s energy bills and minimise the impact future energy price rises may have, as the solar installation will provide a sustainable source of power.
It is estimated the church will use a quarter of the electricity generated by the solar installation, with the remainder being exported back into the grid to benefit the local community.
Phil Hemsley, a member of the Parochial Church Council at St George’s, said: “Climate change is such a critical issue that we all need to do all that we can. At St George’s we can see how to actually become carbon negative using heat pumps for heating, LED lighting and by generating electricity from solar panels, and reducing heat loss by improved glazing.
“As with similar community-focused projects, this all needs funding and this important solar project would not have proceeded without the Green Shoots grant.
“We are looking forward to turning some of next year’s sunshine into electricity and hoping that future Green Shoots grants might help us turn some of our other projects into a reality.”
The £1million Green Shoots Community Climate Change Fund is allocated by WCC to support a wide array of small, community-powered initiatives across Warwickshire in addressing the climate change emergency.
WCC’s environment and climate spokeswoman Coun Heather Timms said: “The installation at St George’s Church epitomises why we’re so committed to a community powered Warwickshire, with a community building playing a prominent role.
“The project takes full advantage of the church’s roof structure with an innovative design that will deliver clean energy for use by the church and the wider community. The church has identified the importance of addressing the climate emergency while still serving the needs of the community.
“St George’s is a fantastic example of what Green Shoots Funding can achieve and I look forward to following the progress of this project over the coming months.”
Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/greenshootsfund for more information about the Green Shoots Fund.
Work on the solar panels at St George’s Church is expected to be completed in February. Visit www.stgeorgesrugby.org.uk for more information about the church.
