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Roof with solar panels on
June 4, 2025 In

Bringing solar power to Latcham

 

Key highlights

  • A 567 kWp system with 1,276 panels
  • Generating 465,000 kWh every year
  • Saving 96 tonnes of CO2 annually

‘Businesses expend more energy than an individual, so they have to take the lead in tackling the climate crisis’, says Latcham’s Managing Director, Mike Hughes. Data, print, digital and fulfilment specialists, Latcham, are certainly doing that with their commitment to a sustainable approach.

 

Making sustainable change

Latcham has aligned its green goals with Bristol City Council, to be carbon neutral by 2030. To achieve their ambitions, Latcham is making a number of changes to the way they do business. These include recycling 94% of all waste materials to date, insulating walls, replacing windows, upgrading their print facility, installing EV charge points, and partnering with the Bristol charity, Tree Aid.

When they decided that solar energy would be part of this change, we were delighted to work with the Bristol Energy Cooperative to make it happen. Bristol Energy Cooperative offer free solar PV for businesses, schools and community organisations across Bristol, partnering with sites in or around the city which have large roofs and use lots of electricity.

 

Let’s go solar!

Latcham’s Bristol head office is a fantastic site to work on with its large, well-appointed roof. The initial challenge was maximising the number of panels on the main roof, and we did that with a combination of landscape and portrait design, to get as much on as possible. We also had to make sure the panels would be accessible for maintenance and cleaning, so that influenced our thinking.

 

The kit

We installed a 567 kWp system with 1,276 JA Solar fully traceable 445w panels. The system is connected to four 100 kW Solis inverters, which are mounted on a custom-built inverter frame.

The solar is predicted to generate 465,000 kWh every year, saving 96 tonnes of CO2 annually.

 

The dream

Latcham says that when it comes to the communications they create, “green is our dream”. We are so pleased to have helped them on the way to achieving this dream, in partnership with the brilliant Bristol Energy Cooperative.

 

Discover more

Read more about the solar we installed on the Castle Climbing Centre

Find out more about the award-winning solar we’ve installed on schools and community buildings in North Lincolnshire

Discover more about how we work with businesses to help them go solar

Read more about how we are involved in Community energy

 

November 15, 2024 In

Deerhurst Care Home – Powering care 24/7

 

Project Highlights

  • Saving Deerhurst Care Home £9,200 a year on their energy bills
  • 100.57 kWp installed
  • 226 JA Solar 445W modules and a fully optimised SolarEdge system
  • Estimated annual generation of 84,865 kWh
  • Estimated carbon saving of 17.57 tonnes per year
  • Three more rooftop arrays to come on other Brunelcare buildings.

 

Background

Deerhurst Care Home is an award-winning facility, providing the highest levels of nursing and dementia care for its 66 live-in residents and ten day-care residents.

As well as nursing, Deerhurst also provides entertainment for residents including musical performances, an art club, toddler group, and many other events.

 

Powering care 24/7

Care of this kind requires significant electricity, with a TV and nurse call system in each room, building lifts and charging for laptops and other equipment, so we were delighted to have the opportunity to design and install solar for Deerhurst, working with Bristol Energy Co-operative and Brunelcare.

 

The kit

We’ve installed a 100.57kWp system, including 226 JA Solar 445W modules and a fully optimised SolarEdge system. As well as a best-in-class warranty and high efficiency panels, JA Solar have a comprehensive badged, integrated, traceable system, recognising the importance of a responsible supply chain, so their panels were the perfect choice.

 

Generation and savings

Our estimated annual generation is 84,865.08kWh and the installation will provide an estimated carbon saving of 17.57 tonnes per year.

All power from the panels will help to run the building, providing energy bill savings of around £9,200 per year. Any excess will be exported to the grid.

 

Reaction

Site Manager, Lesley Hobbs, commented: “I didn’t know about community energy until work started here. I didn’t know that the solar panels were benefiting the community. It’s great that we’re having things that are going to improve the environment too.”

Joju Solar’s Project Manager, Oliver Sadowski, said: It’s been fantastic working with Bristol Energy Co-operative and Brunelcare to bring solar to Deerhurst Care Home. We look forward to seeing the difference it will make to their energy bills, as well as reducing carbon. We’re looking forward to getting started on future installations on other Brunelcare buildings too”.

 

Future plans

Three more rooftop solar arrays are planned on Brunelcare buildings, with the four sites totalling a combined 543 kWp.

The projects are part of Bristol Energy Cooperative’s South West Local Solar Scheme, which aims to install 2 megawatts of rooftop solar capacity across the West of England by 2025. The scheme is funded through a £500,000 grant from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s Green Recovery Fund.

 

Further reading