On-site Power Development and Management for Large Energy Users

What We Do:

We help you save money and cut carbon emissions without any capital expenditure or operating expense. Build back better and support the UK’s target to increase UK renewable power generation. We do this by putting solar panels on your rooftop or adjoining land, and from battery storage. Your only commitment is to pay for what you use through a power purchase agreement (PPA).

What’s in it for the Site Owner and User?
  • No capital cost for the solar panels – solar panels are installed for free
  • Financial savings on your electricity bill – immediate savings that will increase over time. Hedge against long-term energy price increases
  • CO2 savings – solar panels reduce your emissions in a highly visible way, as well as adding more renewable capacity, and are a big step towards achieving your wider sustainability goals
  • No risk/ hassle/ ongoing maintenance – we take care of everything: monitoring; maintenance; insurance; meter readings; remedial works. Everything
City Academy, Bristol
What Green Nation does:

We act as project and asset managers for the installation throughout its life. Before the system is even built, we will obtain whatever planning consents and permissions are needed, and ensure that there is sufficient capacity on the local grid to connect the installation. We will work with an installer to specify the equipment to be used – we insist on high-quality components in order to maximise the power produced and the reliability of the system.

Green Nation funds the build, with the backing of investors who are attracted to the steady income solar provides over the years. We then monitor the output of the solar panels and the health of the system for the lifetime of our agreement, and organise any repairs and maintenance that are needed

The Pitsford Centre
What is a PPA and how does it work?

A PPA is a long-term electricity supply agreement between the energy user (you) and Green Nation that enables us to fund the solar panels. A price for the electricity from the solar panels is calculated that is less than your current grid electricity price (based on the project economics and typically 1-5p/kWh cheaper) and is linked to general inflation, not energy price inflation.

We sign an agreement with the building owner to sell them as much electricity as they can use. The electricity is available during daylight hours, with a peak in the middle of the day, and higher production in the summer months. Before agreeing a deal, we look at the power consumed by the building and we size the system installed so that most or all of its output is used in the building itself.

Any excess is exported to the grid and sold by us on the wholesale market.

Copyright Green Nation 2021
What does a good Large Energy Site look like?

The large majority of our PPA-funded systems are installed on rooftops, though we are working on ground-mounted installations too.

Good solar roofs come in all shapes and sizes, but most have this in common:

  • At least 300 square metres of roof space, on one or more neighbouring roofs – and with no upper limit to size
  • Sturdy roof and building able to support the weight of the panels for 25 years
  • Minimal shading from trees, buildings or other landscape features
  • Houses a long-term occupant of the building who uses lots of electricity

We are always looking for new roofs on which to install. To discuss an opportunity to put solar on your building contact us here. to discuss an opportunity of solar on your

Sports Centre, Sparsholt College
Schools & Colleges

Schools, academies and colleges are great places to put solar – they have large buildings, consume lots of power and are obviously there for the long-term. They are also occupied by lots of people who are enthusiastic and well-informed about renewable energy. In most years, they have quite predictable demand for power, though lockdowns have made 2020-21 a little less predictable!

Green Nation has carried out some of the largest educational solar projects in the UK to date, saving our customers money and helping them do their bit to decarbonise our climate.

In addition to cheaper electricity, we also provide an educational and engagement resource:

  • Web Portal giving access to detailed information on electricity production on site
  • Feed to a monitor in reception with a summary of what has been produced that day
  • Over the past five years, Green Nation has organised some of the largest solar projects in the UK educational sector. We look forward to doing more in the future.
Moulton College

Case Study: Holywood Bowl, Wolverhampton

Solar Power comes to Hollywood Bowl, Wolverhampton

Holywood Bowl, Wolverhampton

Case Study: Holywood Bowl, Wolverhampton

Solar Power comes to Hollywood Bowl, Wolverhampton

In November 2019, Green Nation reached completion of a solar project that was ground-breaking in several respects as the installation on the roof of the Wolverhampton branch of Hollywood Bowl started to deliver power to the bowling alleys below.

The project was Green Nation’s first large rooftop build since the Government’s Feed In Tariff scheme closed to new entrants on 1 April 2019. Earning revenues from the sale of power to the bowling alley through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and the export of any surplus to the grid, it is a demonstration that subsidy-free solar has a bright future in the UK.

If not the very first large solar installation on a bowling alley in the UK, it is certainly among the first.

It’s also one of relatively few rooftop installations carried out with a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) agreed with the tenant of a building that is itself owned by an institutional landlord. This required all three parties to come to terms through a series of documents and agreements. Whilst it was a time-consuming exercise, it was one that will bear fruit as Green Nation and Hollywood Bowl take that experience to other sites and opportunities.

See more in our News page

Holywood Bowl, Wolverhampton

The bowling alley building is high, with no easy access to the roof, so it’s very important that the installation was carried out to a very high standard in order to minimise maintenance visits. The installation work was carried out by Watt Energy Saver, and has been trouble-free since commissioning. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the world, and the bowling alley has had to close for extended periods during the COVID-19 lockdowns. However, during that time, the electricity produced has been exported to the grid and helped to power the rest of the economy with green energy.

As the world starts to return to normal in 2021, Hollywood Bowl, Green Nation and Watt Energy Saver look forward to lots of solar electricity being used on-site and to rolling out installations to several more leisure industry sites around the country to support carbon reductions and help businesses save money.

See more in our News page

Hollywood Bowl

Case Study: City Academy, Bristol

In October 2015, Green Nation was put in touch with City Academy, Bristol, who were interested in a large installation on their classroom and sports hall roofs to help reduce their high energy costs. Solar firm IDDEA of Devizes were to carry out the installation.

City Academy, Bristol

Case Study:

In October 2015, Green Nation was put in touch with City Academy, Bristol, who were interested in a large installation on their classroom and sports hall roofs to help reduce their high energy costs. Solar firm IDDEA of Devizes were to carry out the installation.

Knowing that the Feed In Tariff scheme was to be subject to large but as yet unspecified change at the start of 2016, all parties moved quickly to ensure the project could happen. Collectively, they secured:

  • Permission from the team within the Department of Education responsible for Academies
  • Grid Connection from Western Power Distribution
  • Confirmation from Bristol City Council of planning status of the project, and clearance for the project from the team responsible for educational buildings
  • Materials for the project in what was an extremely busy period for the industry

When the project was ready, Green Nation financed the build at no cost to the Academy.

City Academy, Bristol

Jonathan Thompson, Chief Executive of Green Nation: “This is one of the biggest solar projects on any school or academy in the country, and due to an imminent change in Government support for solar power, had a tight deadline for completion. We’ve worked with quite a few educational establishments around the country on solar power projects, and were impressed by the speed and professionalism with which Maria Townsend (Finance & Operations Director of OWLT, CAB) and her team at City Academy Bristol negotiated the agreements and organised the permissions necessary to make this project happen. Bristol City Council, the EFA and grid operator Western Power Distribution also went beyond the call of duty to make the project possible, and IDDEA then built the system to a very high quality during the short days and stormy weather of December. Their combined work will bring clean power and cost savings to City Academy Bristol for decades to come.

Jon Angell, Principal at City Academy Bristol: “One of the many things that we teach our students through Science and Geography is the impact of climate change and the need to live more sustainably. To be able to show that we are taking steps as an academy to work in a more sustainable way helps reinforce our teaching and learning.”

City Academy, Bristol

Frequently Asked Questions

© 2024 Green Nation