By installing a 60 kW rooftop PV system using 96 AIKO COMET 625 W modules, the charity has significantly reduced its electricity bills while strengthening long-term energy resilience.
Rising operational costs were placing pressure on Centre 81’s grant-funded model. For Chief Executive Alison Holmes, going solar was a practical strategy to protect core services, not just cut carbon.
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“As a medium sized charity with 58 employees we earn through traded income balanced with grant income. The energy saving we are receiving is money I do not have to find somewhere else — it allows me to focus on running the business rather than bidding for grant money,” explains Alison Holmes.
Delivered by Barrington Solar and financed through a UK grant scheme, the installation was tailored to:
• Reduce annual operating costs
• Boost energy self-reliance via on-site generation and battery storage
• Advance the charity’s environmental commitments
Covering 63% of the Centre energy needs
With heavy daytime usage and an east–west roof layout, Centre 81 needed high-efficiency modules that could perform even in non-optimal orientations. AIKO’s N-Type ABC modules were chosen for their output per square meter and their full-black aesthetic — well suited to a prominent community-facing building.
“On a good day the modules delivering over 100% of our energy use,” says Alison Holmes. In the first month alone, the system generated 4,63 MWh — covering 63% of Centre 81’s energy needs and exporting surplus power back to the grid.
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In real terms, Centre 81 now saves an estimated £12.000 per year on electricity costs — funding that can be redirected to frontline community services.
To safeguard operations against future energy price shocks, the system includes hybrid inverters and batteries, helping Centre 81 rely less on the grid and operate with more certainty. (hcn)
