Hursley Road Community Centre is a busy venue in Chandler’s Ford serving local groups through the week. DES Renewables completed a full rooftop solar PV installation, scheduling the work around the hall’s booking diary so that user groups were not disrupted, and commissioned the system in October 2023.
Project overview
Hursley Road Community Centre appointed DES Renewables to install rooftop solar PV at its community venue in Chandler’s Ford. Following a survey in August 2023, the work was scheduled around hall bookings and commissioned on 2 October 2023, with the Electrical Installation Certificate issued on 9 October 2023 and the monitoring login handed to the centre at completion.
Project details
- Company: Hursley Road Community Centre
- Location: Chandler’s Ford, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO53 2FT
- System: Full rooftop solar PV installation
- Installation type: Roof-mounted solar panels
- Project timeline: Survey August 2023, commissioned 2 October 2023, certificate issued 9 October 2023
The objectives
- Reduce electricity costs at a venue used by local groups through the week
- Complete the installation without disrupting hall bookings
- Deliver a fully certificated and safe electrical installation
- Verify existing gas bonding as part of the electrical safety work
- Hand over monitoring so the centre can see what the system produces
The solution: bespoke assessment and design
DES surveyed the site in August 2023, assessing the roof and the centre’s electrical installation. Because the hall is in near-constant use by local groups, the survey also established when the building would actually be free for the work — programming was as much a part of the design as the layout.
The work was originally set for a Thursday and Friday when the hall was free, then moved to Monday 2 October after the roofers adjusted the roof layout. Fitting the installation into that window, rather than asking the centre to cancel bookings, was the point of the exercise.
The installation was carried out to building regulations and electrical standards, and the Electrical Installation Certificate was issued on 9 October 2023, a week after commissioning.
Installation and completion
The install was scheduled around hall bookings and completed on Monday 2 October 2023, once the roofers’ change to the roof layout had been settled. Gas bonding was inspected and photographed by the technical team as part of the electrical safety work, and the system was commissioned the same day.
User groups kept their bookings throughout, and the centre received its monitoring login at completion so it can see what the array is producing.
The results
- A full rooftop solar PV installation commissioned on 2 October 2023
- Work delivered around the hall’s booking diary, with no disruption to user groups
- Electrical Installation Certificate issued on 9 October 2023
- Gas bonding inspected and recorded as part of the electrical safety work
- Monitoring login handed to the centre so it can track generation
At a glance
- Full rooftop solar PV installation
- Survey carried out in August 2023
- Commissioned 2 October 2023
- Electrical Installation Certificate issued 9 October 2023
- Work scheduled around the hall’s booking diary
- Gas bonding inspected as part of the electrical safety work
- Monitoring login handed over at completion
Our accreditations
DES Renewables is MCS certified, which guarantees that our installations are designed, installed and commissioned to the highest standard using only MCS certified products. We are also NAPIT certified, confirming that we are certified to install and self-certify all of our electrical installations, and we comply with the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC).
Runs a business, club or community facility? See what solar could save you
If your hall, club or community building is busy through the day, solar can offset a real share of your electricity use — and the work can be planned around your diary. get your free bill check to see what your venue could save, or explore commercial solar to find out how we work.
Download the full Hursley Road Community Centre case study (PDF).
More recent commercial & community installations by DES
Browse all of our commercial solar case studies, including our work at Coombe Caravan Park near Salisbury and St Georges Catholic Centre in Taunton.