Solar competition launch!
What if you and your neighbours could own and earn money from a green power station in your community? Four local green organisations have got together to make this a reality in the Marches. Your town or village could have a 100kW solar photovoltaic roof producing energy by the end of next summer. We’re looking for community groups who want to see carbon saving on a significant scale in their community and want to create a local green investment opportunity. All you need to do is use the guidance in our online form to identify a suitable roof in your area and then fill in the form to tell us about it. We can provide advice and support during the application process if there are any answers you need help with.
The winners will be given a full package of expert support to undertake all the necessary feasibility works, draw up contracts with the building owner, create a co-operative and raise the money to purchase and install the panels. If successful, the installation will be one of the largest renewable energy installations in the West Midlands and one of the first community owned solar projects in the UK.
The support we are offering works like this: once we have chosen the winning project, we will put in expertise, time and money to help you develop the project. Once it is ready to go we will support you to set up a co-operative share offer to raise the money to actually build it. Local people will buy shares and receive a decent rate of interest on their investment. The share offer will also pay back the setup costs into a ringfenced fund that is only available to other community renewables projects who want to follow in your footsteps. The idea is that instead of spending public money on a one-off grant, it’s a ‘soft loan’: paid back into the pot if the project is successful, but there is no risk to you and nothing to pay back if for some reason the project does not work out.
The competition is funded by Advantage West Midlands, the regional development agency, who are committed to helping communities in the West Midlands install their own renewable energy. It is being delivered through Sharenergy with the support of Marches Energy Agency, Wind & Sun & the Household Energy Service.
Community groups are invited to propose a roof that they think could be suitable by midnight on Tuesday 26th October.
For full competition details download the competition brief as a pdf.
To enter the competition you first need to register with the Sharenergy Network by clicking here. Once you have a login you can access the online application form by clicking the link on the home page or by going to the Go To menu and clicking Solar Competition.
For any queries, please contact etty.flanagan@energy4all.co.uk (07817 242991)
