Snettisham Beach Sailing Club moves towards renewable energy

Snettisham Beach Sailing Club, based on the North West Norfolk Coast, have been making big changes to the club thanks to grants from the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Community Infrastructure Levy, and the East Coash Community Fund. As a result, the club has been able to move to renewable energy sources for its energy needs.

08 Jun 24

Dinghies are lined up on a beach ready to launch

Due to its location, in the past the club had to rely upon a diesel generator for electricity and gas boilers for hot water to showers, washrooms and the kitchen – but thanks to the funding, is now ‘green’.

The first phase of the project began in the summer of 2023 with the addition of insulation and a new covering to the roof. Following a structural survey an array of 21 solar panels was then installed on the roof, supplying a 30kW battery system. The club was then rewired, and low energy lighting installed throughout. The total cost of this work was £50,000, with the club thankful to BCKLWN Community Infrastructure Levy for £30,000 towards this cost.

The second phase of the project began in January 2024 to provide a solar hot water system. Club Commodore Adrian Tebbutt said “Working with Horisun Renewable Energy, who advised on the system design, we began the installation in January 2024 to be ready for the new season. We now have a 30 tube solar thermal collector, 600l of hot water storage tanks, a flexible control system plus new thermostatically regulated push button showers and push operated taps throughout the club. The two obsolete boilers were replaced by a new boiler to act as backup at periods of high demand and to enable us to protect against legionella. Adrian said: “with the installation completed in mid-February we have been impressed with the effectiveness of the system, even in the short days and cold weather, the tanks are up to working temperature. We estimate that we will save at least 1000l of LPG per year, once again reducing our costs and emissions.”

The total cost of the solar thermal installation was £17,650 and the club were thankful to the East Coast Community Fund for a grant of £13,645 towards this cost.

With over 500 members, Snettisham Beach Sailing Club is a proactive club open to the community, with sailing, kayaking, canoeing, kite/wind surfing and paddleboarding opportunities for both beginners and experienced participants in the area. The club’s ethos is to be accessible to all, and a family can enjoy the facilities for just over £5 per week. The club also owns some 30 boats that are available for hire to members.

For more information about Snettisham Beach Sailing Club visit https://www.snetbeach.co.uk/ or for more information as to how to get out on the water in the East Region, visit www.rya.org.uk/startboating.

Many thanks to Town and Around https://townandaround.net/ for the press release.