Solar panels hope for village hall

Energy bills at a village hall could be cut if the go-ahead is given for solar panels to be mounted on its roof.

AberfoyleWelcome Home and Memorial Fund Association has lodged a planning application with Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park planners for the panels at Aberfoyle Memorial Hall in Trossachs Road.

The charitable community trust own the building and say the proposal would provide a way to generate renewable energy on a key community asset, providing low cost, low carbon and renewable energy for the hall.

In information submitted with the application, the developers say:“Aberfoyle is off gas grid and so the hall relies on electricity for providing both power and heat.

“The largest operating cost for the hall is electricity. This electrical demand rises massively in the colder months to provide heating during the day and night for the various community groups utilising the hall.

“The association have identified an opportunity for generating renewable energy at the Memorial Hall, through the installation of a roof mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) array.

“Generating renewable energy on existing assets works hand in hand with a key priority of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Local Development Plan.

“The colour of the solar panels will be consistent with the existing roof so as to blend in as far as possible and to ensure minimal visual impact from the surrounding hills.

Around 30-40m2 of roof space would be used and there would be 12, 340W solar panels.

Prior to the connection to the grid, an application would be made to the distribution network operator and approved before the site could begin operating.

Park planners are expected to make a recommendation on the application in due course.