It’s been a very busy few months for us at SE24. Earlier this year we were awarded funding from the London Community Energy Fund to investigate the feasibility of developing a solar array on Walworth Methodist Church.
Walworth Methodist Church is a large, multi-building facility at the heart of a very diverse, local community. In addition to the church (which has a large and very active congregation), the associated buildings are used extensively, 7 days a week by a wide variety organisations, from all different parts of the community. A number of local charities have offices within the church buildings, including Southwark Carers and Southside Young Leaders, which provides vital mentoring and after school activities for teenage boys in the area. The church hosts multiple and varied activities such as exercise classes, adult education and Scouts clubs. It also provides outreach for the elderly by hosting twice weekly lunch sessions.
Initial estimates suggest that a solar system of 30 – 50kW might be possible. We are currently awaiting the outcome of our feasibility assessment. But if shown to be viable, Walworth Methodist Church will be a great addition to our expanding portfolio of partnership projects in South East London.
Meanwhile, our two major projects at St. Christopher’s Hospice and Dulwich College are due to be commissioned imminently. There have been a few stumbling blocks along the way, not to mention valuable learning experiences, but once completed will mean that we have installed almost 200kW of solar capacity in under 2 years, which is a fantastic achievement.