Braishfield Village Hall set to save thousands with solar

Braishfield Village Hall trustees have announced the successful implementation of a solar panel and battery system, which has already shown significant savings.

Installed three months ago, the system has saved more than £550 a month in both August and September and is expected to continue for eight months of the year, with the system providing all the electricity needed by the shop, café, and hall.

Not only does the system cut costs, but during the summer months, it also generates income by selling any excess power back to the National Grid.

The £53,000 project was spearheaded by village hall trustees Malcolm Ayres and Chris Balchin, with help from Andrew Tolfts of Dragonfly Power- a community energy group based in Test Valley.

The team that made it happen: Andrew, Chris and Malcolm, in front of Braishfield Hall (Image: Paul Fresson)

The project was funded by grants from SSEN’s Powering Communities to Net Zero fund, Test Valley Borough Council’s Community Asset Fund, and Braishfield Parish Council, which provided extra funding to increase the battery capacity.

Cinergi, a company based in Romsey, carried out the installation.

The new system is not only cost-effective but also aligns with the hall’s sustainability goals, generating carbon-free electricity on-site and reducing running costs, providing energy resilience.

The hall has also upgraded all lighting to LED and now uses air source heat pumps for heating.

In the event of a long-term power cut, the hall’s large battery capacity means it can serve as a community resilience hub, offering lighting and heating when local homes may be without.

This project, which integrates solar power and battery storage, serves as an example for other buildings aiming to be more environmentally friendly and community-oriented.

Braishfield Village Hall, with its new green credentials, is setting a standard for sustainability and energy resilience in community buildings.