Maxing out rooftop PV in Bristol

The Bottle Yard Film Studios’ premium facility TBY2 opened in 2022, and is powered by a 1MWp solar array made up of over 2,000 panels. Funded by a community share offer run by Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC), the array is believed to be the largest community solar rooftop scheme in the UK.

Bristol City Council, which owns and runs The Bottle Yard Studios, had initially planned to fund a 283kWp solar array at the site, but BEC suggested making full use of the available roof space, and the final array is three times larger than that originally planned.

Maximising the solar coverage of a large roof space irrespective of on-site consumption is not typical, but the electricity generated at the site feeds into Bristol City Council’s renewable energy sleeving pool. In this the Council offers long-term power purchase agreements which provide income security to BEC; in return the Council secures long-term supplies of local renewable energy, thereby reducing its energy costs while helping Bristol achieve its net zero goals. This is a highly replicable model.

BEC first became involved in the project in the summer of 2021, and the array was installed by late 2022. This quick turnaround would not have been possible without active involvement from the council and the Studios, full support from building contractors and solar installers, and BEC’s ability to raise funds quickly through community financing.