Energy Innovation and Collaboration: Community Orchard

The Community Orchard is set within the St Ann’s Allotment site and is a lively hub of educational and community life centred on local children and families.

The Community Orchard has built an off-grid straw bale building at the site. A change in use to include office work with increased occupancy meant that the existing solar photovoltaic system was not providing sufficient energy for the increased load. An enquiry was made about the energy support available through Energy for Business, the European Union funded business support project delivered by the Energy Innovation and Collaboration team at the University of Nottingham.