Advice
The solar installation is now up and running on the Forest Row Community Centre and this will be the first week that our Community Centre is solar…
Update, 29 October 2026: Powervault, the battery maker mentioned in this 2018 post, went into administration in November 2025, so the battery offer here has ended. For help choosing solar panels or a battery, see our vetted suppliers list or email info@forestrowenergy.com.
This post is from 2018 and is kept for the record. Schemes, prices and contacts may have changed since. For help today, see our grants guide and energy prices, or ask us.
The solar installation is now up and running on the Forest Row Community Centre and this will be the first week that our Community Centre is solar powered… that is once the snow melts from the panels!
The solar installation that has been put in place by Forest Row Energy Co-op will power the preparation of sustainable meals for local people, community services such as the local library and electric car charging. The installation will produce enough power for around 7,000 community meals or for 580 car charges each year.
In the coming weeks a digital display will be put in place in the Community Centre to show how much energy the panels are generating. A PowerVault battery will also be installed to store any excess power that is generated. This means that energy won’t be lost in transporting the power back to the national grid and money will be saved as it won’t need to be bought back for a higher price.
This project will become a community showcase for solar power with battery storage. We will be monitoring the performance of both the solar panels and the battery and sharing this with the community so you can see the potential savings that you could make. We are also negotiating discounts with the suppliers of the technologies so that you can buy them for less.
If you live in Forest Row or any of the surrounding towns and villages and are interested in getting discounts on solar panels or PowerVault batteries please email forestrowenergy@gmail.com
You can find out more about PowerVault at www.powervault.co.uk