Project owner: Guildtown Community Association
Location: Guildtown in Perthshire
Technology: Two electric batteries and control
syystem, to work with existing solar PV and
ground source heat pump
CARES Funding: £15,814 Innovation Grant
Date installed: April 2019
Guildtown Community Hall in Perthshire is a sports and social hub for Guildtown and the surrounding rural villages, and also provides sport and recreation facilities for Guildtown Primary School.
The first sustainable measure in the hall was a ground source heat pump installed around ten years ago, when the hall was being extended. The heat pump is linked to a solar thermal hot water system and the community also fundraised to install a large solar PV system on the roof, to provide sustainable electricity and income. The next step was taken four years ago when an electric vehicle charge point was fitted, for community members and visitors to use.
In October 2018 Guildtown Community Association was awarded £15,814 CARES funding for two powerwall batteries and a control system, to allow electricity generated by the solar panels to be stored and used to power the heat pump, lighting for the community hall and the electric vehicle charger when the solar panels aren’t generating.
By swapping expensive, high carbon grid electricity for self-generated solar electricity, Guildtown Community Hall is more self-sufficient and cheaper to run.