What if you and your neighbours could own and earn money from a green power station in your community? Four Marches green organisations have got together to help you make this a reality.
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.
There is no risk, financial or otherwise, in taking part in this competition. The winner is given free access to expert support, legal fees and the costs of planning, to help deliver their project.
All that is required of you and your group is to find the ideal roof, which needs to be within the Rural Regeneration Zone. The group will then be supported to raise the funds they need to pay for the installation by setting up a co-operative and raising money locally through a share offer, giving local people the chance to invest and make a decent return on local green energy.
The competition is being run by Sharenergy as part of Marches Community Solar, comprising local energy experts Sharenergy, Marches Energy Agency, Wind & Sun and Household Energy Service. Sharenergy is a community renewable energy incubator delivered by Energy4All and funded by Advantage West Midlands. Jon Halle from Sharenergy said:
“This is the first community solar competition in the UK. Within a matter of months the winners will have one of the largest renewable energy installations in the West Midlands and the first to be entirely community owned.”
To enter the competition and for guidance on identifying the right sort of the roof go to the Sharenergy website or call Etty Flanagan on 07817 242991.
The deadline for entries is midnight on Tuesday 26 October.
