Jocks Lane Community Centre Solar Success

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Since October 2023, an 8.51 kWp rooftop solar PV system at Jock’s Lane Community Centre—supported by Bracknell Town Council—has been quietly cutting bills, reducing carbon, and showing what practical community climate action looks like, one sunny day at a time.

What happens when a community building makes its roof work harder? At Jock’s Lane Community Centre, solar panels now generate clean electricity on-site—cutting the amount of electricity bought from the grid and freeing up money for the activities local people value.

· System size: 8.51 kWp roof-mounted solar PV (installed October 2023)

· Used on site: ~98% of generation is consumed within the building

· Why it matters: high self-use maximises savings by replacing grid electricity

Overall performance has been strong: 2024 landed almost exactly on forecast (7.90 MWh vs 7.91 MWh), 2025 beat expectations (9.80 MWh—around 25% above forecast), and early 2026 started ahead of estimate. A slightly lower first winter (Oct–Dec 2023) was expected for a new system coming online partway through the season.

So far, the roof has generated 19,293 kWh. Because the centre uses about 98% of that power on-site (18,907 kWh), it displaces electricity that would otherwise be purchased from the grid. At roughly £0.22 per kWh, this equates to an estimated £4,217 in bill savings to date. Using a typical UK grid carbon factor (~0.19 kg CO₂/kWh), the generation to date equates to about 3.7 tonnes of CO₂ avoided.

Solar is a long-life asset: output typically falls only 0.3%–0.5% per year, so the centre can expect strong generation for 25–30 years. Over its lifetime, the system is projected to produce around 190,000–200,000 kWh, worth roughly £42,600+ in avoided electricity costs at today’s prices, and 37 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Jock’s Lane is a simple, modest-sized solar installation that can deliver real savings and real carbon reductions for a community building—without complicated behaviour change.

If you want to find out more about Jocks Lane Solar Project, please contact bfcca@outlook.com. We will be happy to help you get in touch with the Council’s climate change team.