SoLa Bristol supported 26 homes, 5 schools and an office block in Bristol to benefit from a more efficient energy system.
The first phase of the project saw Knowle West council-owned homes have solar PV panels fitted to their roofs, generating electricity for the homes to use.
In the second phase the panels were connected to a battery system which powered lights and pieces of electrical equipment, such as phones and computers. This meant homes could store some of the electricity generated by the panels in order to use it when they needed it: participants had access to free solar energy when the sun was shining – and even when it wasn’t.
We worked with artist Dane Watkins and participants to create a digital interface that displayed the energy data – including how much electricity was generated and stored and how much money was saved. The interface was displayed on touch screen tablets that participants received at the beginning of the second phase.
“I managed to save around £20 a week with the solar panels and cutting down on my energy use.”
“It definitely made me more conscious of what energy I was using.”
“I would take part in a project like this again.”
Please check out our project film (below gallery) which was filmed over the duration of SoLa Bristol and includes some of the participants and project partners.
To view the final report published on Western Power Distribution website click here.
SoLa Bristol from Knowle West Media Centre on Vimeo.