Delivering commercial energy surveys across seven community halls to strengthen funding applications for solar, battery and heat pump upgrades.
Project Overview
- Client: Dragonfly Power CBS Ltd, in partnership with Community Energy South and Test Valley Borough Council
- Sector: Community / Not-for-Profit
- Location: Test Valley, Hampshire
- Services Provided: Commercial Energy Surveys, Air Tightness Testing, Thermal Imaging Surveys, SBEM Energy Modelling
- Scale: 7 community halls assessed
- Target: Eligibility and evidence for Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ Powering Communities to Net Zero fund
The Challenge
Many of Test Valley’s community halls were running on outdated infrastructure – poor insulation, ageing heating systems, and significant air leakage – driving up running costs and carbon footprint alike. To access green grant funding, Dragonfly Power needed more than a general sense that improvements were possible: they needed structured, evidenced energy surveys that could stand up to funder scrutiny, work within real budget constraints, and – for the halls with heritage status – respect the restrictions that ruled out some conventional retrofit measures.
The Solution
Commercial Energy Surveys & Funding-Ready Reporting
We surveyed all seven halls on-site, assessing insulation, heating systems, lighting, and building fabric, and used air tightness testing and thermal imaging to pinpoint exactly where heat was being lost. Energy modelling let us test different improvement scenarios against their impact on EPC ratings, running costs, and carbon savings before recommending anything. For listed buildings, recommendations were shaped around heritage constraints from the outset, with alternative measures proposed wherever a conventional option wasn’t viable. Recognising that funding decisions depend on how clearly a case is made, we structured every report around what grant assessors actually need to see: current usage, prioritised improvements, projected savings, and return on investment – giving hall committees a genuinely actionable roadmap rather than just a technical audit.
The Outcome
Five of the seven halls went on to apply for funding through SSEN’s Powering Communities to Net Zero fund, with three securing grants for solar PV arrays, battery storage, and heat pump installations. The two unsuccessful applications weren’t wasted effort either – the underlying energy reports remain available to support future funding rounds. Beyond the funding secured, the project gave each hall committee a clear, prioritised view of where to invest next, whatever their budget or timeline.
Client Testimonial
Dragonfly Power (a not-for-profit community energy group) work with local businesses, schools and other community organisations to increase the uptake of renewable energy. We appointed Building Energy Experts to do a number of energy assessments for local community halls. Their reports were thorough and they were structured in such a way that the hall owners could see the “cheap wins” and which measures would take more investment. Furthermore, the reports have formed the basis for a number of successful grant applications for the refurbishment of the buildings including the installation of solar panels, batteries and heat pumps. This has been a very successful arrangement and we look forward to working with BEE in the future.
— Anton Page, Chair, Dragonfly Power
