After signing a new 50-year lease on Gosforth Civic Theatre, the Newcastle-based performing arts charity Liberdade secured funding for building improvements from several large National foundations. The work on the building on Regent Farm Road was to take place in two stages. The first phase, which is now complete saw the auditorium roof replaced, insulation and sound-proofing installed and the existing bar area expanded. AA Construction Utilities was bought in during this phase to install a 24.6kWp Solar PV system. With the client being a charity, it was imperative AA Construction design a system to help minimise the ongoing financial burden of contiguously rising energy costs. The Gosforth Civic Theatre will now benefit from an energy import reduction of over 30% from the national grid.

Thanks to favourable contractual rates, the client can expect a payback period of just 3.5 years. Beyond that, they will enjoy substantial cost savings with significantly reduced energy bills. This successful implementation showcases the client’s dedication to both financial and environmental sustainability. Additionally the annual generation equates to a CO2 reduction of 3,820 kg per annum.