Community church invests in solar panels to cut bills and carbon emission through Net Zero Barnsley

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, with Pete Lane, has led 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.

It 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 27 September, with a theme of ‘Healthy Planet: Healthy You’.

Net Zero Barnsley business development manager Kevin Steel added: “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.”

Councillor Robin Franklin, Cabinet spokesperson for Regeneration and Culture, said: "We all have to play our part in protecting our borough for the future, so it's great to see Emmanuel Church working with the Net Zero Barnsley to install these measures on top of the great work they've already been doing in this area.

"Using cheaper and more sustainable energy thanks to the solar panels will be a gamechanger for them, and I encourage others to see what they can achieve through the Net Zero Barnsley programme."

Jan added: “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 has delivered 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 was 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.

Find out more about the Net Zero Barnsley programme at www.netzerobarnsley.co.uk.