Sark’s Stocks Hotel to produce own electricity

From February the hotel will produce its own electricity via photovoltaic panels, back-up batteries and a generator.

The amount of panels and cost has not yet been released.

Sark Electricity has announced a price increase to 85p per unit, but the price control commissioner wants it to charge just 53p per unit.

‘We’ve been looking at becoming self sufficient in terms of energy production for a while now,’ said Mr Armorgie.

‘And we decided after last Thursday’s meeting that we can’t hang around any longer. So we are going to be using a mix of photovoltaic panels backed up by batteries and the generator which we installed about a decade ago. With the price as it is, 85p per kilowatt, the investment that we are making will pay itself off within three years.’

Stocks Hotel says the move fits in with their green credentials and it looks to become more renewable as a business in all aspects.

The pool at the hotel has been solar heated for some years.

However, Mr Armorgie is keen to stress that the decision taken is a last resort and if an alternative whole-island solution could be found the hotel would be supportive.

If and when Stocks does leave the main grid in Sark, overall consumption will go down 20% and could lead to further price hikes.

‘I have gone on record as saying – and I will say it again – that if an island-wide solution could be found to our energy issues then we would go for it,’ Mr Armorgie said.

‘We have a social responsibility to those in the island and if we leave then prices could further increase and in turn cause more fuel poverty on Sark. As a business, though, we consume a lot of electricity and it makes economical sense for us to produce our own when the price is so high.’

Sark Electricity has been locked in a dispute about the price of power for over a year, with the price control commissioner threatening to cut it to a level which the company says would bankrupt it.