After a long, dull and wet winter, the sun has finally come out to play! March’s sunshine helped the solar panels to generate 1.38MWh of electricity – that’s the best monthly total since September 2023.
The solar panels have generated a total of almost 12MWh since they were installed. This equates to a saving in carbon emissions equal to planting 139 trees. If you include the tree that was planted last November at the commissioning event, the total comes to a very neat 140. Do pause to have a look at the crab apple whilst it’s in flower.
Roughly 35% of the generated power has been used by Portholme Church; the remaining 65% has been “exported” to the National Grid. In financial terms, this represents a saving of £550 off the energy bills; the surplus that has been exported yielded £1,150 in extra income. Not forgetting the environmental benefits of cutting carbon emissions by 2,300 kg. So, imagine what you could save with a solar panel investment.
The next target for Portholme Church is to work towards “Net Zero Carbon”. That’s a phrase you’ll often hear about in the news, mainly when they’re discussing EV cars and heat pumps. The Portholme Church gas boiler creates nearly 10,000kg of carbon each year, so this is an area of particular focus (and we are hoping to get more professional help with working out exactly how “Net Zero” can be achieved). Look out for further updates ….
In the meantime, why not visit the Our Zero Selby website and see how you can get involved in projects aimed at bringing the long-term benefits of a zero carbon Selby to everyone.
Roger Pipe (Church Treasurer)