A lifeboat charity has signed an agreement for the installation of an energy storage unit at its centre on the Isle of Wight.

Storage technology company redT energy is installing a 180kWh unit at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s (RNLI) Inshore Lifeboat Centre in East Cowes, which is used to manufacture and maintain its fleet of lifeboats.

The site currently has a 100kW solar array, which is predominantly used to power the manufacturing operations while also exporting up to 15kW when generation exceeds demand.

The energy storage technology will be used to shift excess solar from the solar panels, enabling RNLI to offset the cost of locally purchased electricity.

It will also be able to generate revenue by selling power back to the local grid.

RNLI suggests the lifeboat charity will eventually be able to build portions of the boats using 100% solar energy.

Victoria Limbrick, RNLI Energy Manager said: “[redT’s] energy storage system will allow us to achieve more value from the solar power we generate at our Inshore Lifeboat Centre. Not only will the system reduce our power costs, it will also further reduce the fossil fuel energy used in producing our inshore lifeboats, which is important to increasing our overall sustainability.”