Community energy roadshow comes to Ticehurst

Community Energy South is bringing its Energy Roadshow to Ticehurst on Tuesday 18 February for an evening of impartial information entitled 'Everything you need to know about solar power and heat pumps'.

The event, which is being co-organised with community benefit society Energise Sussex Coast, will be taking place 7 – 9pm, Tuesday 18 February at Ticehurst Village Hall (Lower High Street, TN5 7BB). Participants are encouraged to register for free on Eventbrite: https://www.energisesussexcoast.co.uk/events

Energise Sussex Coast’s Martin Turner will take us through how heat pumps and solar work, the costs and benefits and how to make the most of your system. There will also be an opportunity to hear first-hand experiences from local residents and get crucial information about grants and how to avoid scam sellers. Local volunteer Energy Champions will be on hand to give advice on energy bills and free refreshments will be provided.

Heat pumps (which use electricity rather than gas to heat your home) and solar panels are two key technologies for tackling the climate crisis.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) heat pumps are the 'central technology in the global transition to secure and sustainable heating'. In Sweden, Norway and Finland they are the dominant heating technology. But here in the UK they have been ‘the subject of hostile and misleading reporting across many mainstream media outlets’ (Carbon Brief).

Meanwhile wind and solar now power 13% of the world's electricity, up from 3% a decade earlier. Moreover, the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2024 report anticipates that solar power will overtake nuclear, wind, hydro, gas and, finally, coal, to become the world’s single-largest source of electricity by 2033.

2023 saw a surge in the number of UK homes installing solar panels, which rose by nearly 30% to almost 190,000 installations. The total number of certified home solar panel installations since 2009 now stands at over 1.4 million, equivalent to roughly 5% of all UK households.

Martin Turner, Energise Sussex Coast's retrofit expert, said: 'The confusing and contradictory information available about solar panels and heat pumps, makes it difficult for anyone to answer simple questions: Is my home suitable? Where can I find a trusted installer? How much will it cost to install and run? And how long would it take before the savings I make would pay me back for the expense involved? This evening will tackle all of these questions, as well as debunking myths and providing advice on how to make the most out of these low-carbon technologies.'

Based in Lewes, Community Energy South works to support a network of community energy groups in the southeast of England.

Founded in 2012, local community benefit cooperative Energise Sussex Coast works to tackle the climate crisis and energy injustice through community-owned renewable power and energy-saving schemes. It runs a free Energy Advice service to help local residents bring down the cost of their electricity, gas and water bills: 01424 390 062.