Location: Tomatin, Strathdearn
Technology: Solar PV panels
CARES funding: £27,274 capital grant
Date installed/operational: May 2024
Background
The Strathdearn shop and cafe is based in Tomatin, Strathdearn. The building is community owned by Strathdearn Community Developments (SCD) and is operated by its trading arm White River Trading (WRT).
The shop and cafe provide a vital service for the community due to the rural location, limited public transport and the community has an older demographic. The area experiences extreme weather conditions which local access to groceries, warm meals and warm spaces is essential for many residents. The shop and cafe also provide local employment.
SCD started their net zero journey in 2021 when the building was renovated to a high environmental specification. The building already had an air source heat pump, underfloor heating, triple-glazed windows and high levels of insulation.
Project aims and objectives
As the shop and cafe used no fossil fuels, they were reliant on electricity to heat and power the building – the costs were particularly significant with the large refrigerators needed and cost of running the cooking appliances. The rising costs were jeopardising the current and future activities at the shop and cafe which incentivised them to look at ways to reduce their energy bills.
A core aim of SCD is to reach net zero with their community buildings and to be active in promoting this to other communities, particularly online and at networking events. Business Energy Scotland conducted an energy audit in 2023 which recommended installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels which would help generate electricity to reduce their energy costs. SCD planned to make use of the monitoring system which accompanies the solar PV panels to continue to evaluate energy savings that are being made.
SCD applied for funding from the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) and received a capital grant covering 80% of the cost. This funding was a significant opportunity as without this support they wouldn’t have been able to afford the solar PV system recommended by Business Energy Scotland. SSEN Transmissions provided a further 10% of funding and SCD funded the remaining 10%.
Outcomes and achievements
Overall, SCD are delighted with the outcome of this project as the shop and café’s energy bills have been reduced by 30% since installing the PV system. However, they won’t be able to provide a complete annual report on the new system until a year has passed.
CARES supported SCD through the entire process from the initial application through to the installation being completed. They found the support CARES offered particularly helpful when putting the job out to tender to ensure the right company was chosen. CARES helped by providing a list of trusted and approved installers to contact as well as providing a template for the email when putting the job out to tender. This resulted in clear expectations for the turnkey contract for the development, design, consenting, supply and installation of the PV system.
Lessons learnt
SCD’s spokesperson identified several lessons learnt throughout the project.
“Our advice would be to lean on the support given by CARES and not to hesitate to ask questions. When we became stuck at points during the process our CARES development officer helped us navigate through the issues. We had some setbacks in our progress as we were reliant on third parties to provide documentation which took longer than we had anticipated. These delays resulted in our initial timescales being too short. Our CARES development officers provided solutions to our issues e.g. by providing us with an “update and extension form” we were able to extend our deadlines to fit with third parties’ timescales.
“Consider if you require planning and any structural surveys. A building warrant will be necessary, and professional fees will apply so build that into your budget as well as .
“We would also recommend developing a positive working relationship with the installation company as there are highly technical aspects to the solar PV system and the monitoring system. The technicians from our chosen installers were very helpful in guiding us through these systems and explaining the “need to know”.”
Published November 2024