Curly Hill Scouts Centre, Ilkley – Solar PV & Battery Storage Installation
Customer Background
Curly Hill Campsite & Centre, located in Ilkley, West Yorkshire provides hostel accommodation and camping facilities for members of the Scout and Guide movements, as well as schools, charities, youth organisations and community groups. The site is owned by the Scout District and managed by a dedicated team of volunteer wardens responsible for its day-to-day operation, maintenance and upkeep.
The centre plays an important role in supporting outdoor education, youth development and community engagement, offering a valuable space for learning, activities and residential stays.
Key Details
The Challenge
Like many community and charitable facilities, Curly Hill Scouts Centre has been significantly impacted by rising energy costs in recent years. As a 43-bed hostel with a fully equipped kitchen, the site has a consistently high demand for electricity to support heating, hot water, cooking, lighting and day-to-day operations.
With frequent use for weekend events, training sessions and group bookings, energy consumption can fluctuate but remains consistently substantial throughout the year.
As the centre is funded through membership fees, fundraising and donations, increasing utility bills place additional pressure on already limited resources. This directly reduces the funds available for youth programmes, equipment and ongoing improvements to the site.
To address these challenges, the committee began exploring renewable energy solutions to reduce operating costs and improve the long-term financial sustainability of the centre.
The Solution
Following an initial consultation, P4 Solar carried out a detailed site assessment to evaluate the building’s suitability for solar PV and battery storage.
A bespoke system was designed to maximise on-site renewable energy generation while reducing reliance on grid electricity and improving energy resilience.
The installation included:
20 x AIKO Neostar 2S 460 W solar panels
1 x Hanchu ESS 6 kW Hybrid Inverter
2 x Hanchu ESS 5.12 kWh Battery Storage Units
1 x Solar iBoost
The system was carefully designed to ensure that excess solar energy generated during the day could be stored and used during peak demand periods, such as evenings and busy weekends when the centre is in full use.
The Installation
The installation was completed with careful planning to minimise disruption to the centre’s ongoing bookings and activities. The solar PV system was integrated efficiently into the building, ensuring optimal performance while maintaining the operational needs of the facility.
The addition of battery storage provides greater flexibility in energy use, helping the centre to better manage demand and reduce reliance on grid electricity during peak periods.
The Solar iBoost enables surplus solar energy to be used to heat hot water via the immersion heater. As a result, during the spring and summer months, gas usage is significantly reduced by utilising PV-generated electricity to heat water for showers and washing.
The Outcome
The installation has provided Curly Hill Scouts Centre with a significant step forward in improving its long-term financial sustainability. By generating renewable electricity on-site and storing excess energy in battery systems, the centre has reduced its reliance on grid electricity and gained greater control over its operating costs.
This helps protect the centre from rising and unpredictable energy prices, allowing more of its limited income to be directed towards youth activities, maintenance and site improvements.
In addition, the system supports the organisation’s environmental goals by reducing carbon emissions and demonstrating a clear commitment to sustainability for the benefit of current and future users of the centre.
Overall, the project delivers meaningful financial, operational and environmental benefits, helping to secure the long-term future of Curly Hill Scouts Centre as a vital community resource in the town of Ilkley, West Yorkshire.
Customer Feedback
“Fantastic!”
https://share.google/Kdn2za2gckAYqQTNW
Jeremy Ince, Curly Hill Scouts Centre Treasurer- 5-Star Google Review
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