Solar PV • Feasibility study • Closed

About

LUX is an international arts agency and a charity that supports and promotes artists’ moving image practices and the ideas that surround them. LUX is the country’s only significant collection of artists’ film and video, and is the largest distributor of such work in Europe. Their main activities are distribution, exhibition, publishing, education, research, and professional development support for artists and arts professionals. PUNL’s project with LUX began after an introduction from one of our investors.  Lux was interested in installing solar panels, as part of a grander vision for modelling Waterlow Park as a zero carbon park, showcasing the latest environmental responses to climate change.

Funding & delivery

Camden Council owns the building and PUNL submitted a proposal outlining the project. Based on this, Camden gave their approval to submit an application to the London Community Energy Fund to look into project feasibility. PUNL raised £11,500 in feasibility funding early in 2018. Feasibility work included logging of electricity demand, a roof structural survey, applying for and obtaining planning permission, getting an EPC waiver and DNO consent and pre-registering the site for the feed-in tariff. As the building was leased from Camden Council PUNL sought legal advice on the proposed roof lease between PUNL and the Council. The plan was to raise capital funding for the panels through a crowdfunded share offer.

Benefits & impact

Modelling by Joju Solar indicated the site could accommodate a 34kWp array which would generate around 23MWh annually and deliver carbon savings of 6tonnes a year. Data logging suggested LUX would consume 40% of the solar generation and that this could be raised to 60% through the use of batteries. The financial savings for LUX would be reinvested in community events and other energy efficiency initiatives. 

The other opportunity explored was to use battery storage to charge electric vehicles overnight thus helping to tackle pollution and clean up the air in the park.

Progress

The project was closed before completion because discussions about a roof lease between PUNL and Camden Council could not progress for a number of reasons.

If a way forward could be found in future then PUNL would be delighted to project manage the delivery of this project. Lux is an important community asset and is located where high public footfall offers an opportunity for public education on the benefits of renewable electricity.