Spirit was founded by Erica Charles, a mathematician who returned to Oxford in her 30’s to complete a Masters on the maximisation of photon capture by solar panels. Anyway, the maths taught her that a well-designed and well-installed solar system will generate a considerably superior return on investment compared to one where insufficient attention has been applied to the design details.
That ethos continues today with Spirit’s commitment to recruiting the finest engineers and installers and providing them with the best in-house technical training that the industry can offer… regardless of the cost…
-Ian Charles, Financial Director
Ashlyn's Care Home, run by B&M Care Homes, is projected to save £18,898 in its first year of operation after Spirit Energy designed and installed a 116.03 kWp rooftop solar system. The system is expected to generate 99,845 kWh a year, covering roughly 70% of the home's electricity use from its own roof. With a six-year payback period and a 19% internal rate of return, the installation aligns directly with the financial performance of Spirit Energy’s wider care home portfolio.
No UK hotel of ordinary density runs on solar power alone, and the reason is storeys rather than sunshine. Roof area per bedroom is the binding constraint: a two-storey country house hotel has twice the roof per bedroom of a four-storey city hotel, so it can cover roughly twice as much of its electricity. Realistic figures run from about a tenth of annual electricity on a tall urban building to about half on a low, sprawling site.
