Parbold Village Hall to cut enormous energy bills by installing solar panels

Parbold Community Association in partnership with Parbold Parish Council have completed a solar panel and battery project installed by NPS Energy Ltd of Oldham, costing almost £50,000

Panels backed up by SolarEdge Battery Storage are now in operation and the installer reports it is working even better than predicted.

The solar panels are generating energy to make considerable savings on the sky-high energy costs that forecast a bleak and difficult future for this public hall and Parbold Community Association and its users’ activities - exercise classes, badminton, markets, films and international concerts and community occasions.

The battery system will store low-cost electricity overnight for use during day-time or evenings when most PCA activities take place.

This marks a progressive process of ‘greening’ the hall which the PCA volunteers in partnership with Parbold Parish Council began in 2009 with a total roof insulation programme.

In 2015 a heat-pump driven HVAC system [Heating and Ventilation] for the Studio with an associated small solar project for hot water.

More recently, in 2019 a major heat pump system for the Auditorium to support new underfloor heating and a comprehensive ventilation/heating system.

These initiatives were all made possible and were supported by substantial grants from Lancashire Environmental Fund to the Parbold Community Association to support its development of this public venue.

This 2024 solar project was funded by an almost £40,000 grant from the Lancashire Environmental Fund to Parbold Community Association [PCA}, with nearly £10,000 contributed by the Parbold Parish Council and over £5,000 in generous donations from the people of Parbold via fundraising at the PCA’s indoor markets, activity and social groups, films and concerts.

The public raised their total in less than a month and their support has hearted the PCA volunteers who help with events and activities at the Village Hall.

The PCA volunteers send their grateful thanks to the Parish Council and to the people of Parbold for their generosity and support for this public venue.