THE congregation at an Oxford church are probably beaming following the installation of new solar panels which could knock £3,400 off their annual energy bill.

The £120,000 panels have been fitted to the roof of the King’s Centre in Osney Mead, West Oxford.

They are the latest installation in the area by West Oxford Community Renewables, which secured a £730,000 grant from the Government in 2009.

The panels were fitted and turned on in August, but were officially unveiled by Oxford Lord Mayor Elise Benjamin this week.

She said: “It’s a wonderful example that shows it is not just households that can have solar power, but community buildings as well.”

Centre director Stuart Waddington said the technology would save 42,500 kWh of energy a year – the equivalent of 12 households, and 25 per cent of the energy used in the building.

He said: “We are very excited to be a part of this. We are in favour of the environmental benefits and it benefits us financially as well.”

The panels feed in to the National Grid so any surplus energy can be sold on. Although the technology is only guaranteed to last for 25 years, West Oxford Community Renewables insists it is better for the environment and would protect the centre against rises in energy prices.

The group has previously installed solar panels on roofs at Matthew Arnold School on Cumnor Hill, and at the reception area of the King’s Centre.

Group director Ruth Finar said: “They won’t have to pay all their electricity at the commercial rate.”

She added: “Our motivation is to reduce carbon emissions in West Oxford by 80 per cent by 2050.”

Last month the Government announced it would cut its subsidies for solar schemes.

Solar firm Joju, which installed the panels, revealed the firm had made seven staff redundant and lost £4m worth of business since the Government announcement.

bwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk