Hackney Empire Installs Over 75 Large Solar Panels as Part of Efforts to Reduce Their Carbon Footprint

Executive Director Jo Hemmant and the whole Hackney Empire team have announced the successful installation of 76 large solar panels, which are one of the theatre’s recent huge steps in continuing their mission to reduce its carbon footprint and energy costs.

Hackney Empire’s endeavours began pre-pandemic with the replacement of their boilers and over the last year with support from Hackney Council’s Impact and Ideas fund, the Foyle Foundation and individual donations, the charity has been able to replace Hackney Empire’s tungsten stage lighting with LEDs - reducing the energy used by stage lighting by 90% and decreased their global electricity usage by 35% - impacting on both the theatre’s energy usage and energy bills.

The newly installed 76 large solar panels will generate 32,000 kWh of clean energy each year, further reducing the carbon footprint and energy costs. The panels will allow Hackney Empire to generate clean energy amounting to over 15% of their total electricity requirement, and as a registered charity all the savings made will go towards maintaining their building, artistic programme and work with young people.

The installation was made possible through a partnership with Stokey Energy, who secured funding from Hackney Light and Power, Hackney Council’s energy services arm. The project was project managed by Steve Epstein, who carried out the feasibility study guiding a team through planning permission, structural engineering and pre contract protocol, and then onto overseeing the installation in partnership with UK Solar Generation.

Stokey Energy, who both managed the project and led on the main fundraising, is a Community Benefit Society founded in 2019 that aims to make Hackney a carbon zero borough and take practical action to respond to the climate crisis. It has been founded by Hackney residents with long-term expertise in environmental policy, renewable energy, construction, design and local government, and is committed to action at the community level. Stokey Energy has successfully delivered many similar projects. With funding support from LCEF4 they completed the installation of 84 solar panels on the roof of Stoke Newington School, and with LCEF5 support they installed a system on the Rio Cinema in 2022. They have just completed a large retrofit project at The Leaside Trust where they have installed a solar PV array, an air source heat pump and retrofitted the ground floor to create a classroom space for the centre overlooking the canal and wetlands, which will be used as the headquarters for EcoActive, an environment educational charity whose mission is "to create a world where young people and communities are agents of change to create a better planet".

Julie Beechey, Head of Buildings and Operations at Hackney Empire said, “Thanks to our partnership with Stokey Energy and support from the Hackney Community Energy Fund and the Roy Bard Foundation, we are thrilled to have installed over 75 solar panels on our fly tower this week, helping us to make our Grade II* listed building more sustainable, and enabling us to generate our own clean energy going forwards”.

Tom Campbell, Founding Director at Stokey Energy said, “It has been a pleasure to work with the team at Hackney Empire. They are a forward thinking, responsive and can-do group of people. Without them this project would never have got off the ground. Stokey Energy was set up by a small group of passionate people who have been working in climate change, innovation and action. We set Stokey Energy up with the purpose of supporting the council by building awareness and commitment among the residents of Hackney to tackle climate change and to work with interested parties and the council to take practical action to reduce our collective carbon emissions”.

Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, said: “Hackney Light and Power’s groundbreaking community energy fund is supporting fantastic organisations to work with community energy groups like Stokey Energy and HEAL to cut bills and reduce their impact on the planet.

“We’re delighted to have funded the new solar panels at the iconic Hackney Empire. Running an amazing local theatre like Hackney Empire requires lots of energy, and we’re delighted that this installation, alongside the new stage lighting, will help them to reduce energy costs and decarbonise - helping to create a fairer and greener Hackney.”