Renewables specialist to deliver solar project for Greenwich Hospital charity

A renewable energy project to install more than 250 solar panels is due to start shortly, after contracts were signed by Raven Renewables and Greenwich Hospital.

The work will be carried out at Greenwich Hospital’s sheltered housing schemes in Portsmouth and Saltash, significantly reducing bills for those living within the blocks.

Greenwich Hospital provides support to serving and former Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel and their families. Its sheltered housing is managed by the charity CESSAC, using its staff shared with CESSA Housing Association who offer sheltered housing for over 60s ex-service personnel.

Raven Renewables, a specialist renewable energy installer based in Surrey, will be installing 160 solar panels at Greenwich Court in Portsmouth and 104 panels at Greenwich Place in Saltash, near Plymouth. The energy-saving measures carried out will save Greenwich Hospital tenants over £1.3 million in energy costs over the next 25 years.

The combined total of 264 solar panels will cover an area of 320 square metres over 11 roofs and will produce over 100,000 kWh of energy.

At Greenwich Court, project calculations produced by Raven Renewables show that 65 per cent of the energy generated will be used within the building, with just over 75 percent being used on-site at Greenwich Place. The remaining energy will be sold on, bringing benefits for the charity in the form of almost £80,000 in energy payments from the national grid.

Mark Gardiner, Business Development Manager for Raven Renewables said: “We’re looking forward to getting started on this solar project with Greenwich Hospital, which will make a huge difference to their tenants’ service charges. It’s great to see so many charities and businesses considering renewable energy sources and taking us a step closer to a carbon-free future.”

Patrick Keefe, Chief Executive Officer of CESSA Housing Association, added: “This project, generously funded by Greenwich Hospital, will produce the happy combination of reducing both the carbon footprint and tenants’ service charges. We are most grateful to Raven Renewables for all the work they have already put in to reaching this point. The tenants will particularly look forward to the result.”

Raven Renewables was established by Raven Housing Trust to provide specialist renewables support to themselves and other housing associations, as well as charities and commercial business, with profits being reinvested in the social housing provider’s new homes and carbon-reducing improvements to existing homes.