T h e Developer
Neil Maw
T h e G u i d e t o L i m i tl e s s C l e a n E n e r g y
four years now, Twine has set his sights on another similar project – this time focused on solar power. The Westmill Solar Co-operative share offer was launched on June 23 this year, and could become the largest community-owned solar power station in the world once it is able to raise the £4m equity needed to purchase it. Like the wind co-op, individuals can invest from £250 to £20,000 in the project, which will be funded by a 25-year feed-in tariff contract from the government. Westmill predicts the average return over the 24-year investment period to be 11% a year. A total of 21,000 panels have been installed at the site, beside the wind turbines,
Westmill Wind Farm Co-op
the Westmill board came into contact with Cheshire-based company, Blue Energy [http:// www.blue-energyco.com/], which had been hoping to do a rooftop industrial large-scale project, but hadn’t managed to secure any planning permission. Realising that each had something that the other one needed, Low-Carbon Solar and Blue Energy shook hands and the panels were swiftly installed, with a call option put in place for Westmill Solar Co-operative to purchase it back if it could raise sufficient capital within the year. and the farm will produce Westmill’s two community4.8 gigawatt hours of power owned renewable energy every year – enough to provide projects are proof that electricity to 1,400 local homes. “The exciting bit about is as far communities can do incredible as I can see”, Twine begins, “is that things towards the UK achieving solar is generally less contentious its various climate change targets. We have arguably the than wind. most plentiful wind resources “We will be the only solar in Europe, yet we’re not even farm in the UK that is doing close to becoming the European community ownership at this leader in the technology. moment in time. Hopefully there Community-led projects like will be more – I really hope so. We’ve got the successful Westmill Westmill are vital in ensuring Wind Farm model now, so people this isn’t the case. “There’s clearly the can see what it is, can see it works, climate change argument, and that it does what it set out to and also energy security”, do. I really hope that we’re going concludes Twine, when asked to get a much more significant why renewable energy is so amount of immediately local important. ownership. I think it’s a really “And then I guess I’d say exciting opportunity The share not just renewables, but a offer closes on July 31, community-owned project and if it’s oversubscribed, is an important and exciting priority will be given to opportunity that we should all local members.” be getting to grips with. A couple The Westmill Solar of weeks ago, for two days, over Co-operative began as 50% of the whole of Germany’s a concept two years electricity was supplied by solar ago. After applying for PV. Most of it is from peoples’ planning permission roofs, not even from large in December 2010, solar farms. It is owned, it is consent was given three embedded, it is decentralised, months later in March. and it’s just a different and Construction of the wind exciting model going into the 21st farm began in May last century.” year. Whilst trying to source funding for the www.westmill.coop co-op, the developers, www.westmillsolar.coop Low-Carbon Solar and www.goodenergy.co.uk
JULY
2012
29 ©Blue & Green Communications 2012