Energy grant enables property developer to switch to solar power
Property developer Allenby Commercial has been delivering high-quality commercial construction projects locally and across the UK for more than 30 years.
The Oh Yes! Net Zero member is committed to operating in an environmentally friendly way, so when it became aware that Hull City Council was offering grants to help local companies reduce their energy usage and cut carbon emissions, it was keen to find out more.
Charlie Allenby, business development manager at Allenby Commercial, said: “We saw information about the Hull Business Energy Efficiency Scheme (HBEES) online.
“It provides grant funding towards the installation of energy-efficient systems and equipment, from LED lighting to smart heating and electric vehicle chargers, so we saw it as a fantastic opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint of one of our developments and make our business more sustainable generally.”
After confirming Allenby Commercial was eligible* for the scheme, the Council’s energy partners, NPS, visited its Base Business Space development in east Hull to carry out an energy assessment.
Formerly known as the Chamberlain Business Park, the site was purchased and redeveloped by Allenby Commercial several years ago to address a local shortage of quality, efficient and useable business space.
The NPS energy assessment formed the foundation for an eye-opening report that included expert recommendations on how energy consumption could be reduced at the site.
“Based on the recommendations in the report, we decided to install an array of solar panels, and received a grant of £9,360 towards this,” said Charlie.
“The 38.8kw system now in place has had a transformational impact – as well as enabling us to run our warehouse space at the site completely self-sufficiently by producing our own electricity, it has reduced our carbon emissions by around 11 tonnes a year.”
The system was installed by local firm East Riding Energy.
“I would recommend the HBEES scheme as an excellent way for local businesses to access funding that helps them make progress against their carbon reduction goals.”
“The process of applying for the grant is simple and fast, and the money saved by generating our own, clean power has allowed us to invest in other environmentally-friendly features at the site, including new lighting and insulation.
“The solar panel system has been so successful that we’re now looking to expand it further.”
For more information about the scheme and other business support services and grants available from Hull City Council call 01482 615359 / 01482 612612 or email business.support@hullcc.gov.uk.
*Priority for grants is given to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 250 employees, an annual turnover of £43 million or less and a balance sheet of £37 million or less.