A busy Barnsley church has invested in solar panels which will generate renewable energy to power dozens of daytime and evening activities.
Emmanuel Methodist Church has gained a grant to part-fund its sustainable development through the Net Zero Barnsley programme delivered by The Business Village in partnership with Barnsley Council.
It is estimated that the 36 solar panels it has fitted to the roof of its Huddersfield Road building will generate around 12,725 kwh of electricity a year, saving the church £3,000 on energy bills and reducing their CO2 carbon emissions by 2.46 tonnes annually.
The £24,000 PV system has an inverter and battery so that it can capture all the energy generated in daylight hours to support the church’s diverse programme of daily activities which go well into the evenings.
Church Trustee Jan Eldred has led, with Pete Lane, on the solar panel installation by All Seasons Energy, Sheffield and attended the Net Zero Barnsley programme workshops.
Jan said: “Gaining expert help and financial support to invest in our solar panels has helped us to achieve our ambition to have them much sooner as part of our drive to be as sustainable a church as possible.
Being able to store the electricity generated by day in a battery so that we can use it at our evening events to power lighting and kettles and sound systems is a very important bonus. We will work to fund more batteries for even greater efficiency”
Emmanuel church hosts dozens of community activities, health, wellbeing and social groups as well as services. As a venue, it is host to the Ensemble 360 classical concerts programme and other cultural and business events.
Emmanuel has also invested in a thorough insulation scheme, lagging pipes and fixing window seals to prevent draughts as part of its Net Zero Barnsley consultation.
The church has previously installed motion sensor LED lighting, replanted around its grounds to ensure a nature-friendly environment, led on community tree and bulb-planting initiatives and shared monthly eco tips via its newsletter. It hosts an annual Eco Festival, which this year takes place on Saturday 27th September, with a theme of ‘Healthy Planet: Healthy You’. Net Zero Barnsley business development manager Kevin Steel said:
“Emmanuel Church is a community powerhouse when it comes to hosting events and activities and leading on positive change for local people.
It’s been a pleasure to work with them to support their eco ambitions and get solar panels on to the roof of their important and iconic Barnsley building.”
Jan said: “I can’t say enough about how helpful everybody has been through this process. It has been good to be part of an active Net Zero Barnsley community of businesses and organisations working towards the same goal.
The support we were given to secure the grant, which was match funded by generous donations, was crucial to helping us make this significant difference to our carbon emissions as Eco church.”
Emmanuel Methodist Church’s is an active partner in Barnsley’s Positive Climate Partnership and Barnsley Council’s Sustainable Barnsley campaign. It has achieved the Silver Award in the international ECO Churches framework, and solar panels will contribute to its drive to achieve Gold status.
The Business Village is delivering the Net Zero Barnsley programme, in partnership with Barnsley Council, as part of the Low Carbon Project, part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Sheffield City Council is the accountable body for the South Yorkshire region. The Low Carbon project has received £3,445,606 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
About Net Zero Barnsley
Net Zero Barnsley, at The Business Village, Barnsley, is delivering, in partnership with Barnsley Council, a series of intensive programmes in which participants receive specialist sustainability coaching to help them work through carbon calculators to define and measure their existing CO2 outputs and identify priorities for action. They are then helped to draw up detailed plans to reduce emissions; and there’s workshops and peer-to-peer support to share ideas.
On completion of decarbonisation plans, companies could be eligible for capital grants, to be match funded, which they can invest in new green technology or practices which will lead to saving energy, as well as money on bills.
All UK businesses must reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, and Barnsley Council has set an earlier target of 2045. Net Zero Barnsley is supporting dozens of Barnsley businesses to work towards this goal.
Actions to reduce carbon include switching to sustainable forms of energy, investing in new equipment to improve efficiency, adopting smart technology, making behavioural changes in the workplace, reducing waste, considering supply chains and supporting sustainable transport schemes for staff.
To find out more about getting involved in Net Zero Barnsley, contact Kevin Steel on 01226 249590 or ksteel@BarnsleyBIC.co.uk
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