AES Solar were honoured to play our part in helping out a brilliant local charity. The Oxygen Works do incredible work in the north of Scotland for those living with long-term and complex health conditions.

They offer access to holistic therapies, with hyperbaric oxygen therapy at its core. Their services and therapies are affordable and accessible. Individuals regularly travel from across the north of Scotland to access their services. The charity marked its 30th-anniversary last year and has improved the lives of countless people during this time.

Soaring Bills

Since their energy contract renewal in February 2023, the charity had seen their energy bills triple. Their gas and electricity costs have soared from around £285 a month to £900.  This has been combined with less consistency in donations for their services as well as a downturn in public donations due to the ongoing cost of living crisis. As more and more people rely on charitable services across the UK there has also been increased competition for grant funding.

The Oxygen Works decided they were unable to pass the increased costs onto their clients. As such, they were having to face a reality where they cut back on services or operating hours. This would have resulted in a colossal and detrimental impact on the community and the clients they serve.

The Oxygen Works realised that a solar PV system was a sure-fire answer to their predicament. The company had every intention of installing solar through the usual grant funding. However, these applications can be subject to lengthy delays.

Solar Contribution

When a group of Highland businesses learned of the charity’s plight they banded together to solve the problem. They provided and installed the system at no cost to the charity. Alongside AES Solar, these suppliers and partners included ANM Electrical, Edmundson Electrical Elgin and ARK Estates. Together they paid for the £25,000 solar PV system.

The 10.2 kWp solar PV system will help combat these rising energy costs. This will reduce the charity’s electricity consumption by at least 53%. Each year it will save two tons of CO2 and over its lifetime will avoid the equivalent of 32,824 car miles or 38 long-haul flights. Installed on Thursday 26th May, the system was already generating the next day. The Oxygen Works also plan to install battery storage at a later date. This will store the excess energy to use at periods when there is less sunlight. This solar PV system means the charity can continue to provide subsidised services to a growing number of users.

THE 10.2 KWP SOLAR PV SYSTEM

CEO Leigh-Ann Little said: “We owe a huge amount of thanks to the business and the individuals within these companies who have really rallied to support us. As a small team of only 5 at The Oxygen Works, with only 2 of us full time, it feels like we have a whole army of support around us and in the current economic climate it has arguably never been needed more.”

A benefit for decades to come

Jamie Di Sotto Commercial Director of AES Solar said: “I can speak for all of AES Solar when I say that we were honoured to play our part in helping out such a wonderful local charity. The work The Oxygen Works team do here is truly inspiring and we wanted to provide something that is going to give them a benefit for decades to come.

I would also like to thank the other suppliers and partners who contributed to this project as it was a group effort. This will make a massive difference to a very worthy cause indeed.”