Stanwick Lakes first partnered with Plug me in in 2023, when an initial solar and battery installation gave the charity its first taste of generating its own clean energy. The results spoke for themselves: lower energy costs, greater energy independence and a meaningful step forward on its sustainability journey. So when the Trust secured grant funding to go further, there was no question about who it would trust to deliver.

The brief for Phase 2 was ambitious: significantly extend solar generation capacity, dramatically reduce reliance on the National Grid, store surplus power and use it on the charity's own terms, and cut carbon output in a measurable way, all without disrupting a live visitor attraction on a protected nature reserve.

A bespoke solar installation for a complex site

In November 2025, Plug me in carried out a full site audit and survey, designing a bespoke system around the site's specific challenges. The buildings feature a timber framework construction spanning two distinct and complex roof types, a concaved roof and a DMP sloped roof, each requiring tailored mounting solutions. Despite these complexities, the system was delivered on time and to budget, commissioned on 20th May 2026.

The installation comprises 147 DAS Solar 440W panels delivering 64.68 kWp of capacity, supported by three Sigenergy 9.0kWh batteries providing 27kWh of storage and two Sigenergy SigenStor 30kW energy controllers, which intelligently optimise the flow of energy between generation, storage and consumption in real time.

The environmental and financial impact of solar and battery storage

The system is anticipated to generate 62,779 kWh of clean energy every year. With 0% exported, every single unit is consumed on site. That translates into 12.1 tonnes of CO₂ avoided annually, the equivalent of planting approximately 484 trees or removing five cars from the road each year.

Financially, the outcomes are transformational for a charitable organisation. The system is projected to save Stanwick Lakes £14,941 in year one alone, with savings growing year on year in line with energy inflation. Over a 20-year horizon, projected savings stand at £326,349, with the solar and battery system paying for itself in approximately four years.

A long-term clean energy asset

Plug me in didn't simply install solar panels. It engineered a long-term energy asset for a charity that needed it most. Through ongoing lifecycle asset management, Plug me in continues to monitor and maintain the system, ensuring it performs at its best for 25 years and beyond. It means more of the Trust's resources can go where they matter most: protecting the landscape, wildlife and heritage that make Stanwick Lakes so special.

“Stanwick Lakes shows exactly what clean energy can do for the charitable sector. This is an organisation that exists to protect the natural environment, and it's now powered by it too. Returning to deliver Phase 2 on a site we know and care about, and helping the Trust turn grant funding into a 20-year energy asset, is what partnership means to us.”