New Projects

At OVESCO we are building on our experience with schools and other community-based organisations to support further renewable energy installations more widely across East Sussex.

These are: Sunny Solar schools and Solar Leisure Heating. For both projects the benefits are:

• Community owned solar installations (at no cost to the organisation)
• Lower-cost electricity or heat for the organisation
• Measurably lower carbon emissions, visible to all
• Involvement of pupils, parents and the community
• A financial return for community investors
• A basis for low carbon educational initiatives

Contact us for more information.

OVESCO Sunny Solar Schools

OVESCO has been developing community-owned renewable energy installations with schools for 10 years.  We have worked with local schools including Priory School, Lewes; Ringmer Community College; Wallands School, Lewes and Chailey School.  Our aim is to use our experience to support schools across Sussex to become solar power producers.

The Sunny Solar Schools project aims to deliver over 1MW of clean electricity to up to twenty five schools in East Sussex.  We will assess the suitability of each school involved for photovoltaic (PV) solar panels and the installation will be funded by a community share offer to local people. OVESCO will project manage the installation and operate the system once commissioned. The school will be offered electricity at a reduced price for 20 years, greatly helping its budget-planning.

OVESCO Sunny Solar Schools is installing roof top solar PV at 25 schools in East Sussex and kicks off with an additional 30kW installed Kings Academy in Ringmer. A further eleven schools have completed feasibility studies with an average of 40kW at each school and an additional 14 schools have already been identified.

This project is supported by Ashden’s LESS CO₂ programme and the EU-funded Low Carbon Across the South East (LOCASE) project.  OVESCO has set up an Advisory Support Group of educational experts to oversee its work.

To find out more, get in touch by emailing schools@ovesco.co.uk or give us a call on 01273 472405.

OVESCO Solar Leisure Heating

OVESCO is also proposing a new, ground-breaking project – the large-scale use of solar thermal heating for community leisure centres. The Solar Leisure Heating project aims to provide solar-heated hot water for two public swimming pools in Lewes and Ringmer  for the Peacehaven and Downs leisure centres. These are run by the not-for-profit Wave Leisure Trust. They will benefit from free hot water whenever the sun shines which will considerably reduce their utility bills.

As with the schools project, we are beginning with a technical and financial feasibility study for each centre and the solar thermal installations will be funded by a separate community share offer. Ovesco would commission and manage the project; and operate the systems for the benefit of the leisure centres and the local community.

We are currently undertaking feasibility studies and aim to launch the share offer early 2018.