Foxholes Care Home has installed 132 solar panels on the roof of its building, enabling it to offset a large proportion of its daytime electricity consumption.
A five-figure investment in solar will enable Foxholes, located near the market town of Hitchin, to cover more than a third of its annual energy costs. Built by renewable energy installation specialist Use The Sun, the carbon-saving system consists of rows of ground-mounted solar modules, each with the capacity to provide up to 390w.
Set in 18 acres of sprawling Hertfordshire countryside, Foxholes Care Home was purpose-built in 2012 and provides both residential and respite care.
Neil Gandecha, care director at Foxholes Care Home, said: “With energy costs rising each year, this project has been in the pipeline for some considerable time now – but, with skyrocketing energy prices, the timing of it finally coming together couldn’t be better. Wholesale electricity costs aside, we’re delighted to see our vision come to life on an environmental level – as the impact cannot be overstated. Self-generating our electricity will significantly decrease our overall carbon footprint, which will help us in our decarbonisation strategy for 2023.
“As a family-run business, we feel it’s important to not only become greener, but also to help the country by taking some pressure off the national grid. Here at Foxholes, we want to become an ever more environmentally focused community and this represents our determination to do so. By doing our bit, we’re making a considerable difference in terms of carbon emissions, which inevitably contributes to the fight against climate change – something we are eager to contribute to.”
