Energy Audit 2010

In November 2010 we were able to commission an external professional energy audit of all our buildings with support from a Leicestershire Shire Grant Community Climate Change grant. This audit consisted of 2 stages: a simple audit, followed by a detailed technical audit. It was this second stage that proved most useful in revealing a significant number of environmental issues with our buildings, many of which we were previously unaware.

As a result we commissioned 8 remedial contracts, mainly in applying extra insulation in strategic places to a value just over £6,000, supported by a further 50% grant aid from the Shire grant fund.

The energy audit also clearly recommended the installation of PV solar panels and supplied a spreadsheet of benefits adjusted to our site making due account of the orientation and inclination of the panels together with Feed in Tariffs, inflation increases, potential rises in energy costs, annual maintenance and potential degradation of the panels.

As a result of several measures taken over the years, In 2014 we gained an EPC rating of B (44), when the average for comparable existing community buildings is D (99)

By 2015, as a result of this advice we had installed 176 solar panels on every available roof, ensuring that we generated 90% of our consumption from these panels.