New solar panel scheme launched in Brighton's Preston Park

A new community solar scheme is helping residents cut energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint.

Nine households in Preston Park, Brighton, have joined the Preston Park Community Energy Programme, which allows them to generate their own renewable electricity using rooftop solar panels, funded and installed through the scheme.

The programme is led by the Brighton and Hove Energy Services Co-operative (BHESCo) and People Owned Power (POP), with the first panels installed in October.

Nestled just north of the city centre, Preston Park is home to a community united by a common goal; to live more sustainably and reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. Working hand-in-hand with BHESCo and local partners OneZero (now POP Energy), neighbours have come together to create Brighton’s first community-scale solar power programme.

What makes this initiative truly special is that it began with a handful of passionate local volunteers who pledged to champion the idea within the community. These residents put their heart and soul into the project – mobilising neighbours, door-to-door campaigns, organising meetings, and collaborating closely with BHESCo on a joint communications strategy. Their enthusiasm was essential for transitioning the programme from concept to reality.

The project began with a simple premise: to provide households with the opportunity generate and use their own renewable electricity without the burden of high installation costs. Through BHESCo’s innovative financing model, residents now enjoy the benefits of clean energy via a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), agreeing to buy electricity generated by the solar panels on their own roofs at a fixed, discounted rate of 17.9p per kWh. This is a significant saving compared to the average 26.35p per kWh charged by energy suppliers, and also provides protection from market volatility and price fluctuations over the long term.

Jamie Lloyd Image: Ellie Evans

Jamie Lloyd, the first participant and an active travel specialist from Clermont Road, said:

"I don’t like using fossil fuels to boil a kettle.. The sun shines a lot more than we realise in southern England and it is a lovely feeling knowing that your power is coming from the sun.

This is a great way of doing it cost-effectively and if we all did it, it would make a real difference."

Mr Lloyd said he also benefits from cash-back incentives from his energy supplier, Octopus Energy, on sunny days.

The project aims to give residents a stable, lower-cost energy supply while protecting them from the volatility of wholesale markets.

Elaine Hills, a Harrington Villas resident and university lecturer, helped organise the scheme.

Ms Hills said: "I love the idea of generating your own power locally and being collaborative as a community and not being vulnerable to energy price hikes.

"The environment is really, really important – we shouldn't be using fossil fuels when we have got alternatives.

Elaine Hills Image: Ellie Evans

But day-to-day, it is very much about people being able to pay their bills.

"This model makes it much cheaper for people and it is more reliable."

Under the scheme, BHESCo finances, owns and maintains the panels and batteries using community investment funding.

Homeowners enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) to buy electricity at a fixed, discounted rate for a set term, after which the panels become theirs.

The nine households currently on the scheme have a combined 40 kW of solar capacity and 50 kWh of battery storage.

Each home is expected to save an average of £7,000 over the course of the agreement.