Beauchief Tennis Club solar installation
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Community Sports

Funding Approved

Beauchief Tennis Club

8.8kW Sunsynk system for a family-friendly Sheffield club.

Project overview

Established in 1938, Beauchief Tennis Club secured Sheffield City Council funding and installed an 8.8kW system: 20 DMEGC panels, 3 x 3.6kW Sunsynk hybrid inverters and 3 x 5.32kW Sunsynk batteries.

The challenge

Like most community sports operations, Beauchief Tennis Club faced a structural exposure to wholesale electricity prices — a cost line that doubled for many UK businesses between 2021 and 2023 and shows no sign of returning to pre-crisis levels. With significant daytime load and suitable roof space, on-site generation was the obvious lever, but the project needed to stand on its own commercial merits: predictable payback, manufacturer-backed warranties, and zero operational disruption during install.

The solution Alliant Energy designed

Following a structural roof survey and DNO capacity check, Alliant Energy specified a 8.8kW array using 20 high-efficiency mono-PERC panels, paired with a 10.8kW hybrid inverter and 16kW of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery storage. The 10.8kW platform was chosen for its export-management capability and remote firmware updates, allowing the array to be tuned over its life without site visits. Battery storage was sized to absorb mid-day generation peaks and discharge across the early evening, lifting on-site solar self-consumption from a typical 35–45% to over 70%.

Install & commissioning

The full installation completed in 2 days, scheduled around the customer's operating hours to avoid downtime. Work was carried out by Alliant Energy's directly employed Experienced engineers — no subcontracted labour. The system was commissioned to G99 requirements, registered with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, and handed over with monitoring access, electrical certification, and structural sign-off documents on the day of completion.

Financial outcome

In its first full year of operation the system is on track to save Beauchief Tennis Club approximately £2,420 on electricity costs, with a payback term of 3 Years and a projected total ROI of 1,712%. Over the 25-year warranted life of the panels, the cumulative saving is forecast at £133,389 — a figure that improves materially if grid prices continue their long-term upward trend, and that benefits from the UK's 100% full-expensing capital allowance for qualifying solar assets.

Environmental impact

The installation displaces roughly 2 Tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year compared with grid-sourced electricity. Over the system's 25-year design life that is the equivalent of removing more than Beauchief Tennis Club's entire annual Scope 2 footprint several times over — a material data point for ESG, B-Corp and net-zero reporting frameworks.

Why it matters for the community sports sector

Community Sports businesses typically run daytime electrical loads — refrigeration, machinery, IT, lighting, compressors — that overlap closely with solar generation. That overlap is what drives strong economics: every unit generated and consumed on-site replaces a unit that would otherwise be bought from the grid at full commercial rates. The Beauchief Tennis Club project demonstrates how the model scales for this kind of operation.

System
8.8kW
Panels
20
Inverter
10.8kW
Storage
16kW
Install
2 Days

Project FAQ

How big is the solar system installed at Beauchief Tennis Club?

Alliant Energy installed a 8.8kW solar PV system using 20 panels paired with a 10.8kW inverter and 16kW of battery storage. The installation took 2 days from arrival on site to commissioning.

How much does Beauchief Tennis Club save each year?

Beauchief Tennis Club saves approximately £2,420 per year on electricity, with projected lifetime savings of £133,389 over the system's 25-year guaranteed performance period. The payback term is 3 Years, delivering a total ROI of 1,712%.

Was the project funded or paid for upfront?

Yes — this project was delivered with funding support (grant or asset finance). Alliant Energy helps eligible UK businesses access capital allowances under full expensing, asset-finance facilities, and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) so solar can be installed with little or no upfront cost.

What's the environmental impact?

The system avoids around 2 Tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year compared with grid-sourced electricity. Over a 25-year design life that's a material contribution toward Scope 2 reduction and any ESG or net-zero reporting commitments the business holds.

Could a similar system work for my business?

Probably — the same hardware platform (panels, hybrid inverter, optional battery) scales from roughly 10kW up to 1MW+. The deciding factors are roof area, daytime electricity use, current unit rate, and grid-connection capacity. Alliant Energy carries out a free desktop feasibility study and follow-up site survey before quoting.

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