Portfolio Articles | Joju Solar

April 30, 2025 In

King of the Castle – Castle Climbing Centre goes solar

Project highlights

Solar array designed and installed on one of the most unique climbing centres in the world
31.15kWp system
Generating 27,313kWh every year
Saving 5.66 tonnes of CO2 annually

Background

Housed within a former Victorian water pumping station in London, the Castle Climbing Centre offers climbing for people of all abilities… from absolute beginners to those at the top of their game.

Talking of the top, our interest was in the roof! Our team was tasked with designing and installing a rooftop solar PV system to cut carbon, help reduce energy bills, and deliver greater energy independence. The aim was to power the majority of the business through solar energy, in keeping with the Castle’s goal of become a net-zero business. As they say:

“Sustainability is in our DNA. Our planet is precious, and as climbers we have a duty to protect it”.

The building

Well, it’s not every day you install solar on a former Victorian water pumping station! Dating from the 1850s, it’s a grade II* listed building too.

We’re highly experienced in installing solar on heritage buildings (our award-winning install on Salisbury Cathedral is one to check out), so we relished the opportunity.

The challenges

Our challenges involved meeting the energy demands of the building, designing around shading of the array, and the system being visually in keeping with the building aesthetics. On top of that, we had an interesting, pitched roof construction to contend with.

We used Nicholson roof products to provide a strong, completely watertight fixing point to build the system up from. A Renusol VarioSole+ rail system was incorporated and we installed 70 JA Solar 445W panels.

The results

The system is predicted to generate 27,313kWh per year, with an annual carbon saving of 5.66 tonnes. Plus, the solar looks totally at home up on the historic roof. It’s the perfect addition to compliment their innovative ventilation system, 1.4 hectare organic permaculture garden, and a building that has been using 100% green energy since 2018.

We’ve loved helping the Castle Climbing Centre on their way to becoming a net-zero business and reach even greater heights when it comes to sustainability.

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April 3, 2025 In

Bethlem Royal Hospital’s Solar Roofs

Project highlights

Solar installed on two NHS buildings at Bethlem Royal Hospital
299 panels
122,700 kWh’s generated per annum
25.8 tonnes of carbon cut every year
Working within the environment of a live NHS Hospital site

The background

Ameresco is an energy solutions provider helping customers reduce costs, enhance resilience, and decarbonize to net zero. We partnered with them to install solar on two NHS South London and Maudsley (SLAM) buildings – Monks Orchard House and River House at Bethlem Royal Hospital.

SLAM provides the widest range of NHS mental health services in the UK, serving a local population of 1.3 million people in south London, as well as specialist services for children and adults across the UK and beyond. Bethlem Royal Hospital is set in over 200 acres of green space in Bromley, providing over 240 services to local communities as well as specific national services.

Our aim was to help reduce the hospital’s energy consumption and carbon output, adhering to strict protocols working on a site of this nature.

The system detail

We’ve installed two solar PV systems.

The first, a 72kWp system on River House including 180 panels, with a predicted generation of 76,000 kWh’s, and saving 19.4 tonnes of carbon every year.

The second is a 47.6 kWp system on Monks Orchard House, including 119 solar panels, generating 46,700 kWh’s per annum and saving 6.4 tonnes of carbon every year.

Special considerations

The buildings house a ‘Mental Health in Learning Disability’ service providing assessment, treatment and care for patients with learning disability, together with mental health problems. River House itself is Medium Secure Unit, so there were additional health and safety considerations whilst working on these sites.

Our highly experienced team was dedicated to making sure all buildings were fully operational during the install and worked closely with the hospital to follow all protocols – including scaffolding hoardings and timing restrictions on when we could carry out certain parts of the work.

The outcome

The installation was successfully completed, and the system is helping Bethlem Royal Hospital achieve

Greater energy independence
A contribution to Net Zero goals with significant carbon cut
Useful savings on energy bills every year

Further information

To discuss solar installations within specialist or sensitive environments, contact us
Discover more about more of our solar, battery storage and EV Charging projects
Read more about Great British Energy’s first major project including investment for NHS buildings and schools

February 21, 2025 In

Henry’s solar bungalow

Henry was an earlier adopter of solar decades ago, when he lived in Scotland. He wholeheartedly believes in the ability of solar power to change the way we generate electricity. So, when he moved to Leicestershire in 2021 to be nearer to his family, there was no way his new home would be driven by anything other than clean energy he could largely generate himself.

Henry’s solar story

Henry’s son-in-law had chosen our Joju team to install solar on his own home. Henry followed his recommendation, arranging a site survey with us. When our designer Dan visited, we considered the roof layout, the amount Henry needed to generate, and what would work best for his unique set of circumstances.

We installed 10 Canadian Solar 410 W panels, alongside a SolarEdge 3.5 kW HD-Wave Inverter with panel optimisers.

The results

Henry is delighted with his installation and the way it performs. It even had British Gas scratching their heads and reimbursing him £400 after the Spring and Summer months, when Henry largely generates all the energy he uses from his solar!

Listen to Henry’s thoughts on his solar installation

Have a listen to Henry talking about how he found the experience of getting solar installed with Joju Solar here.

If you would like to turn your home into a solar powerhouse, just contact us for a chat and over 18 years worth of energy expertise. We would love to help.

Mary’s solar and battery powered home

The details:

16 Aiko 470W ABC Gen 2 Panels
On Roof Mounting
Bird Mesh
GivEnergy 5kW Gen 3 Hybrid
9.5 kWh Battery (DC Coupled)
2 strings of 8 (left and right block)
Myenergi Eddi
Outdoor rated consumer unit

We install on many homes, day in, day out, and each one is special – for the carbon reduction it brings, the money it saves on energy bills, and the feeling of energy autonomy it gives. When there’s battery storage involved, there’s the reassurance of power during a power cut, and also the option to sell any excess energy back to the grid if you’re on a smart tariff. Installing a myenergi eddi, also means having the option to divert any excess straight to heating the water.

Decision making and answering questions

Our customer, Mary, first started investigating solar panels for her home over 3 years ago and this is her story. This is what Mary says about us:

“Joju came on my radar then. Family matters prevented me from continuing at that time, but when I came back to it, Joju were top of my list from everything I had read – including the ethos of the company.

The easy-to-understand quotes, product and installation information from Leo were of enormous benefit and gave me confidence in selecting Joju for the project. Leo was also great in answering all of my questions (however stupid) both quickly and helpfully”.

Installation and project management

It was great to get Mary’s feedback on the initial part of the process, and what about the experience of having solar, a battery and an eddi installed? Our installation team is always praised for highly skilled workmanship, tidiness and friendliness, but in her feedback, Mary really wanted to single out our project management:

“Ben as project manager was superb. His organisation and project management skills were beyond question. He kept me informed at every stage, and was friendly, informative, and responsive to queries immediately. He also helped me with a clear and full run through of the system and made sure I was happy with it before he left.

Ben also gave me confidence that as I learn the system and have queries, the after care will be readily available. My thanks go to the whole Joju team, and to Leo and Ben in particular, who were excellent.’

During an install, we know how important our installation team is and the quality of our workmanship. Afterall, we’ve been doing this for over 18 years. Mary’s feedback also goes to show just how important communication is too, and our project management team strive to make sure you’ll always be updated and assisted.

Post-installation

And what about Mary’s system now it’s installed? Mary says:

“The system is currently up and running happily and I am very happy with it. I would recommend Joju to anyone and I must say because the 16 panels span the whole roof at the back of the house they look superb.”

That’s what we love to hear. It was a pleasure installing on Mary’s roof to turn her home into a solar powerhouse. We’re so pleased she’s happy with the outcome.

If you’re looking for solar and battery storage for your home, please do get in touch. We’d absolutely love to help and bring our experience to your project.

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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.

Solar schools and community buildings in North Lincolnshire

Project Highlights

14 schools and colleges, a community hub, a museum and a community council building have solar installed so far, with more projects in the pipeline
3,441 panels
1,402.175 kWp
1101618 kWh generated every year
68 tonnes of CO2 saved per year
Won the prestigious Alan Clark Award for Community Energy (2024) and the ‘Supportive Local Authority’ Award at the Community Energy England Awards 2023.

Background

North Lincolnshire Community Energy (NLCE) installs community-funded solar panel systems on schools, colleges, and other community organisations, free of charge, by combining central government grants and community shares.

NLCE has been set up with support from a Town’s Fund grant to North Lincolnshire Council. Our Joju Solar team carries out the installations, and helped develop a community match funded proposal through Energy 4 All.

The mission

What has North Lincolnshire set out to achieve through the installation of solar? Here are some of the key aims:

To drive the area forward to be net zero by 2030, reducing carbon emissions
To bring local people/organisations together to tackle climate change
To accelerate the availability of renewable energy in the area
To reduce energy costs for community/educational settings, enabling more funds to be prioritised on resources
To cut electricity purchased from the grid
To provide significant educational opportunities for schools, colleges and other sites that have solar installed.
To be run by local people and be the driving force for enabling a greener future.

The detail

At the 17 sites we’ve installed so far, we’ve largely used Canadian Solar panels for the installs. We’re testing Meyer Burger panels at John Leggott College for learning purposes, so the performance difference can be studied.

Inverters are Solis and the mounting systems depend on specific site conditions. They include Van der Valk, Esdec, Renusol, and Schletter.

Social value

The solar electricity generation, cost reduction and CO2 reduction results are impressive, but installing solar in North Lincolnshire is about much more. There’s a genuine focus on the value of learning opportunities for community benefit.

NLCE, North Lincs Council and Joju have run a series of environmental workshops at schools and colleges, to speak with pupils about their solar installations, the benefit to schools and North Lincolnshire communities, and about the wider topic of sustainability. It’s exciting to see first-hand that the young people involved have a real understanding of the issues. They are keen to support the environment and are excited that the sun is powering the clean energy generated by the array on their school roofs.

The social benefit to schools and colleges and, by extension, to the North Lincolnshire community has been invaluable. As Ben Lawrance, Head Teacher of Frederick Gough School, put it:

“We are absolutely delighted to be part of the North Lincolnshire Community Energy project. Not only will it save us money on our energy bills which will mean we can spend our savings on resources for the children in our school, we will also be contributing clean energy to the community to help ensure the planet is habitable for future generations of Frederick Gough pupils to come. The visual of the panels on our roof will also serve as a good reminder for school and wider community members of the need of us all to do our bit to protect the planet”

Events and awards

A series of free, interactive community events are also being run. These activities invite the wider community to discover more about the benefits of solar energy and to focus on sustainability topics, whilst experiencing family fun and positivity.

Our Joju team has also provided free energy advice in community hubs.

The project has always been about bringing the community together and breaking down barriers. The events run have done exactly this, with hundreds of people across North Lincolnshire taking part.

The project has won the Alan Clark Award for Community/Local Energy at the Solar and Storage Live awards 2024. It also won the ‘Supportive Local Authority’ Award on behalf of North Lincolnshire Council, at the Community Energy England Awards 2023.

A testimonial for Joju

Nicolle Mitchell (Communities Investment and Delivery Officer) and Ben Atkinson, (Sustainability Manager) at North Lincolnshire Council had this to say about how we work together:

“Joju Solar have been instrumental in supporting North Lincolnshire Community Energy (NLCE) to roll out rooftop solar on Schools and Community Buildings in Scunthorpe. Joju always go the extra mile. They have engaged in social value activities with the community of North Lincolnshire by offering school assemblies and workshops, supporting North Lincolnshire Council’s (NLC) Discover and Green Future’s events and providing energy advice for residents in the area at NLC’s Community Hubs.

Joju Solar are honest, professional and diligent. They ensure all work is delivered to a high standard and liaise with the Project Team to ensure installations are delivered on time and within budget.

Thank you to the support of the full Joju Solar team, you have made this project a great success.”

We’d like to thank Nicolle and Ben for their kind words. The project is a true reflection of what happens when local communities are inspired to join together to tackle climate change, and we can’t wait to support the North Lincolnshire teams to install even more.

Further information

Discover more about solar panels for schools

Find out about the opportunities created by community solar

Check out more of our work with the public sector

April 8, 2024 In

Rob’s solar and storage installation experience

Have you ever thought about getting solar and battery storage for your home, but first you’d like to hear what the whole experience is like from beginning to end, from another customer? Well, now you absolutely can!

We’ve been chatting with Rob, who recently decided to invest in solar and storage for his home, to generate his own electricity from the sun, and have the ability to store it for use when he needs it the most. He’ll also make power cuts a thing of the past.

The kit

Rob’s solar and storage system includes 8 SunPower Maxeon 3 430W panels, a Solis 3kW string inverter, bird mesh, and a Tesla Powerwall 2 with Backup Gateway.

The questions and answers

What were Rob’s motivations for getting home solar and storage in the first place? Why did he choose Joju? What was the solar and storage design and installation process like, and how much is Rob’s system generating?

You can find out the answers to all these questions and more by listening to Rob chat about his solar and storage design and installation experience, right here:

Discover more about solar and storage for your home

Check out our solar and storage home case studies

Chat with us, or enquire about getting solar and storage for your home.

February 22, 2024 In

Solar and Storage at the University of Wales Trinity St David

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) declared a climate emergency in 2019 and is dedicated to creating a community which supports sustainability through social, economic, cultural, and environmental responsibility.

Sustainable development is one of the University’s values, with staff and students working together to have “a positive impact on people, communities and the planet”. This multi-campus centre of learning holds Level 5 of the Green Dragon Environmental Standard and there has also been significant financial investment in solar and storage so the University can generate its own clean, green energy. To this end, Joju Solar has been working on bringing solar and battery storage to two buildings on the Swansea campus, changing the way the buildings generate and store power.

It takes two…

On the College of Art’s Dynevor building, at the heart of the city’s arts quarter, we’ve installed a 130kWh Pixii battery alongside 150 kWp of PV, using Canadian Solar 380Wp panels and a Solis inverter.

We’ve also installed a 42kWh Victron battery with 80 kWp of solar on the Technium 2 building at the Swansea campus. Again, we used Canadian Solar 380Wp panels and a Solis inverter.

In terms of selecting the kit, half hourly data was used to specify batteries that best matched the excess generation of the PV systems. The panels and inverters were chosen based on a mix of quality and cost.

Battery benefits

The solar PV generates electricity which can either be used immediately, or stored in the battery for when the buildings need it the most. There’s a mixed level of demand in both buildings as being a base of education, the buildings aren’t as well-populated over the weekend. It therefore makes sense to store the self-generated energy during those periods for use when footfall is greater.

Savings to celebrate

The systems will contribute Co2 savings of approximately 41.5 tonnes a year, supporting the University’s climate commitments. There will also be significant financial savings across both buildings. These are estimated at around £37,000 a year on the basis of a 22p per unit electricity price and the systems generating around 200,000 kwh a year with the batteries using 85% of that.

And there’s more…

We’ve also installed 22.8kWp of solar on a third building, Technium 1. With sixty 380Wp panels and a Solis inverter, the system is estimated to save 4.44 tonnes of Co2 a year. .

Ed Baughan, Joju’s Head of Commercial Solar said:

“Our team is delighted to work with UWTSD to help them realise their sustainability ambitions. At the heart of everything we do is our mission of cutting carbon, so it’s great to install the technology that helps the university reduce its carbon footprint and create greater energy self-sufficiency, whilst making financial savings too”.

A sustainability hero

When it comes to its students, UWTSD encourages everyone to “Become the hero of your own story” by “creating the education experience you’ve always wanted”. By making a real commitment to cutting carbon, the university is becoming the hero of its own sustainability story too – taking positive strides towards a green future and leading by example.

Joju is proud to be working with UWTSD and we relish the supporting role we’re able to play in their story of environmental responsibility.

Oxfordshire’s carbon-cutting nine

The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme provides grants for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures. It’s designed to encourage green investment and support clean growth goals, alongside thousands of jobs in the low carbon and energy efficiency sectors.

As part of the scheme, Oxfordshire County Council secured grant funding and engaged Ameresco to carry out an assessment on a selection of council assets – looking at how to improve energy efficiency. Part of the assessment included the design and installation of renewables, and we were subsequently approached back in 2021 to help nine sites reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy self-sufficient.

Making a difference across a mix of sites

The nine sites our Joju Solar team worked on across the county included two fire stations, five schools, and two community centres. The focus was on cutting carbon by generating solar energy, as well as giving the sites the option to store any excess power in a battery. This way, the power could be used when the sites needed it the most and to help avoid any potential power cuts. We installed 245kWp of solar in total, and also fitted a Tesla Powerwall at every site, with the Abbey Centre doubling up on its battery power.

Nine times the carbon savings!

Since the installation, the sites have been saving approximately 43,107 KG of Co2 per year, contributing to the ongoing decarbonisation of the county, and helping to power the buildings with self-generated energy from the sun.

We thrive on supporting communities to generate and manage their own energy by ‘just adding sunshine’, and it was a pleasure to assist Oxfordshire County Council in meeting their ongoing sustainability ambitions.

Leading the charge on the Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight Council are aiming to achieve net zero goals for their own operations by 2030, and net zero emissions across the island by 2040. Encouraging the move to electric vehicles, and the supporting EV charging infrastructure needed, is a crucial part of this. The Isle wants to cater for the growing number of residents switching to electric, as well as for visiting EV drivers in this popular tourist destination.

Involving Joju Charging

The first step for our Joju Charging team was to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study, supporting the Council with the information to decide where EV Charging infrastructure would be placed, what type of infrastructure is needed, and how it can best be funded. There was already a small private charging network around the ferry terminals, and also a limited number of historic chargers needing to be replaced.

Following our study, it was agreed Joju would install in 12 main settlements around the island to get a comprehensive spread of charge point locations, expanding charging coverage significantly. These include Newport, Ryde, Sandown, Cowes/East Cowes, Ventnor, Yarmouth, Freshwater, Shanklin, Wootton Bridge, Seaview and Lake.

The infrastructure

Altogether there are 33 charge points on the Island, including:

Ten previously installed, dual on-street fast chargers

These have been funded by OZEV and Council investment to help meet residential demand. We’ve adopted them, have upgraded some of the units, and are continuing this process.

Seven standalone rapids, and 16 dual fast chargers

We introduced our funding partner Mer to the project and these charge points are funded by them and maintained by us. We installed the chargers in public car parks in areas like Newport, Ryde, Shanklin, Sandown, Cowes, and Yarmouth. They’re perfect whether you need a rapid charge to quickly get on the move, a fast charge if you’re visiting local attractions, or for residents needing an overnight charge.

We’re also exploring expansion and additional charging infrastructure on the island.

By popular demand…

The popularity of the sites really has grown and grown. Of all of our charge points on the Mer network, three of the Isle of Wight chargers are regularly in the top 10. That’s in terms of usage in the last 30 days. There are seasonal variations of course, but this just highlights the appetite for EV charging infrastructure on the island.

Joju Charging’s Head of Public Sector Sales, Emma Blades, commented:

“It’s fantastic working with the Isle of Wight team who are committed to developing a robust EV charging infrastructure on the island. There has been some great conversation on local online forums praising the charge points and encouraging visitors to come to the Isle with their electric vehicles. One forum contributor even booked a holiday off the back of a chat about the availability of EV charge points! It definitely makes our Joju Charging team proud to hear that the network is helping to attract visitors to the island as word gets out there.”

Long may the infrastructure expansion continue, and long may it attract visitors to the island, as well as serving EV-driving residents.

Project highlights

Background

The building

The challenges

The results

Discover more

Project highlights

The background

The system detail

Special considerations

The outcome

Further information

Henry’s solar story

The results

Listen to Henry’s thoughts on his solar installation

Further reading

The details:

Decision making and answering questions

Installation and project management

Post-installation

Discover more

Project Highlights

Background

Powering care 24/7

The kit

Generation and savings

Reaction

Future plans

Further reading

Project Highlights

Background

The mission

The detail

Social value

Events and awards

A testimonial for Joju

The kit

The questions and answers

It takes two…

Battery benefits

Savings to celebrate

And there’s more…

A sustainability hero

Further reading

Making a difference across a mix of sites

Nine times the carbon savings!

Further reading

Involving Joju Charging

The infrastructure

By popular demand…

Further reading

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