Kent Event Centre
186.12kWp solar PV and 96kWh battery storage powering the home of the Kent County Show
About Kent Event Centre.
Kent Event Centre opened at Kent Showground in Detling, near Maidstone, in 1991 and has grown ever since. It hosts everything from one-to-one meetings and training days to large exhibitions, awards nights, weddings, festivals and the Kent County Show itself.
All of its profits go to the Kent County Agricultural Society, a registered charity formed in 1923 to improve and promote agriculture, forestry and horticulture across Kent.
BeBa Energy knows the showground well. The team has exhibited here for over 10 years, at events including the Society’s Farm Expo and the National Fruit Show. With a strong presence across Kent and the agricultural industry, BeBa was proud to support a venue and industry it knows so well.
The Kent Event Centre team has set out a long-term plan to future-proof the site. Solar and battery storage on the Clive Emson Conference Hall is the first major step.
Client:
Kent Event Centre, Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone
Sector:
Events and venues
System:
186.12kWp solar PV array with 96kWh Sigenergy battery storage
The challenge.
Large-scale events draw heavy power loads unpredictably. Commercial kitchens, high-output AV rigs, temporary exhibitor hookups and hall lighting create sharp demand peaks that often extend late into the evening.
Before the installation, the site relied heavily on grid electricity, exposing operations to unpredictable utility costs. Meanwhile, the trapezoidal roof of the Clive Emson Conference Hall was a large, unused footprint for renewable generation.
The brief was clear: reduce reliance on the grid across every event, lower the site’s carbon footprint, and build a foundation for the future of the Showground.
The solution.
BeBa Energy designed and installed a 186.12kWp solar PV array across the roof of the Clive Emson Conference Hall, paired with a 96kWh SigEnergy battery storage system.
The array generates clean power through the day and feeds it directly into the venue’s operations. The SigEnergy battery stores surplus generation for use in the evening and when solar output dips, extending the value of every unit produced and reducing the draw from the grid.
BeBa’s familiarity with the showground, its events calendar and its visitors helped shape a system designed around how the venue actually operates. The works were completed over summer 2026, scheduled around a live events calendar.
Part of a bigger plan.
Solar is not a standalone gesture for Kent Event Centre. Earlier in 2026 the site also added electric vehicle charging points, which are open to staff, clients and event visitors.
Together, these projects mark the start of a longer programme to lower the carbon footprint of the site and every event held on it, with further investment already planned.
Panels installed
on the Clive Emson Conference Hall roof
The results.
With the system estimated to provide the Showground with ~34% independence from the grid, Kent Event Centre now generates around a third of its electricity from its own roof. The grid remains available for top-ups and peak demand, but it is no longer the only option.
That means lower running costs, less exposure to future price rises, and a stronger sustainability offer for the organisers and audiences who book the venue.
“Energy is one of our biggest running costs, so putting the roof of the Clive Emson Conference Hall to work was an easy decision. BeBa Energy already knew the showground well from years of exhibiting here, and it showed. They designed and built the system around how our site and events run, from busy exhibition days to evening functions, and kept the installation on track around a live calendar.
This is the first step in future-proofing the Kent Event Centre. Every pound we save goes back into the Society’s charitable work, and lower-carbon events are something our clients increasingly care about too.”
Nikki Dorkings, General Manager, Kent Event Centre
“We’ve exhibited at Kent Showground for over 10 years now, at events like the National Fruit Show and Farm Expo, so this was never just another project for us. The Kent Event Centre team wanted the first step in a long-term plan, and a venue whose demand peaks around events is a great fit for solar paired with storage.
It’s been a real pleasure helping a Kent landmark we know so well take control of its energy future. It’s a great feeling to see the system help power the events we attend, as well as the Event Centre’s ever-growing calendar.”
Tom Fox-Smith, BeBa Energy
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