As a delivery partner of the Cornwall New Energy project, Community Energy Plus (CEP) is supporting local small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and charities in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Newlyn Fish Harbour is home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the country, with around 700 vessels and 1,200 fishermen. It is currently being transformed to update facilities and services and support the development of a sustainable fishing industry. This transformation includes the building of a new fish market building which provides a fully refrigerated and competitive selling platform.

Community Power Cornwall (CPC) is a Registered Society owned by its members and aims to be environmentally, socially and financially useful. The cooperative enables communities to take ownership of their energy infrastructure, returning profits to the local economy to be reinvested locally in clean energy generation.

CNE provided business support to CPC, this included:

• Establishing the project size and costs by working with solar PV installers to specify and provide supply and fit quotations
• Understand the consumption of electricity and identify technical issues regarding the siting and connection of solar PV as well as addressing such issues as seagull intrusion
• Modelling cash flows to ensure the potential income will meet the costs of the financing required to allow the installations to proceed

On 26 September 2018, a 150kW PV array was installed on the roof of Newlyn Fish Market. The system has the ability to monitor each individual panel and sits on its own string; this was deemed essential to limit system losses through interaction with the local seagull population. It is expected that 78% of the energy generated will be used onsite, saving 38.6 tonnes of CO₂e per year.

Interested in finding out how your business can benefit from Cornwall New Energy?

Please contact Amanda Forman on 07471953998 or by email a.forman@prp-co.uk