In this contributed article, Ross Wolhuter, head of development for Eden Renewables, the developer behind the Forest Gate Solar Farm, discusses how communities can benefit from shared ownership of Zonne -PV.
As the UK speeds up its transition to a zero carbon energy system, innovative cooperation models between commercial developers and local communities are useful tools for building sustainable, socially supported renewable infrastructure.
Forest Gate Solar Farm, a 49.9 MW project for solar energy and batteries, shows how shared ownership can improve the support of the community, increase local benefits and create a replicable model for future developments for renewable energy.
The North Wiltshire Solar Farm has been cited as a case study in both rain’s recent paper, Best practice in community involvement And the current government consultations about community benefits.
Forest Gate, developed by Eden Renewables, received the planning stamp in March 2023 and is planned for completion in 2026. From the start we have followed a proactive and inclusive approach to community involvement. We recognize the growing appetite for local ownership of renewable energy and have worked closely with Zero Chippenham, a long -standing local climate action group with a lot of experience and exciting ambitions.
Zero Chippenham had already facilitated the installation of countless solar systems on the roof (currently older than 50) via a discount schedule for a community panel. Their ambitions, however, extended to projects on a larger scale that can generate considerable environmental and financial benefits for the broader community of North Wiltshire and bring their mission to a sustainable foot. The Forest Gate site offered an ideal opportunity.
Zero Chippenham then founded Zero North Wiltshire, a community advantage, and approached Bath and West Community Energy, one of the leading community organizations in the UK, as a partner and mentor. Zero North Wiltshire and Bath and West Community Energy will jointly have the community share – up to 20% of the solar farm – as a split, electrically separate site. This will ensure that financial benefits within the area are retained and that the local community can further influence the extra environmental benefits.
Funds will be collected by a combination of senior debts, community shares and community bonds. Investors receive a reasonable marketing and the partnership is expected to generate an estimated £ 5 million over the 40-year lifespan of the project of a community share of 10 MW.
Zero North Wiltshire and Bath and West Community Energy will use the surplus income after covering operational and financing costs to support a series of environmental initiatives. These include tackling fuel poverty, further carbon pollution reduction, tree planting schedules, a zero waste initiative and monitoring of air quality.
Eden also contributes more than £ 800,000 during the life of the project to a separate community and educational fund that will be managed by an independent panel, including the local parish council.
Opportunities and challenges
Eden Renewables’ interest in community property of renewable energy sources is not new. The company’s leadership team previously supplied a 7.5 MW of the Zonneboerderij community property in South Devon in 2019 and a 5MW/5MW Community-Commercercial Split project in Sussex in 2015.
We wanted to expand this to larger locations where possible, recognizing the mutual benefits and shared interests when commercial solar developers create successful partnerships with community groups, which led to more sustainable and socially responsible solar projects.
We also promote shared community property on another Solar Farm North Wiltshire, Red Barn, which will soon be built after Forest Gate and work with community groups in the forest of Dean and Gloucestershire to deliver shared property, Lightwood Solar Farm, which has just been submitted to the planning. We are also looking for community partners for a new project in the planning in Wiltshire, Blackthorn Solar Farm.
We also work in the onshore wind sector, with shared property an important feature of our Bettyhill Wind Farm on the coast of Noord -Schotland. This received unanimous approval in the planning committee with our strong dedication to community involvement that was selected by various council members. The Scottish government has actively encouraged and supported the ownership of the renewable energy sources for many years and we are pleased to see the British government after their leadership now with policy support by great British energy.
We believe that shared ownership helps to promote positive long-term relationships with the community and involve community groups in the development process can help build local acceptance and support for solar projects. It offers an important boost for local economies, which preserves a larger part of the income from a project and is invested again in the area to tackle climate change and to build up the resilience of the community.
Just like all our solar projects, Forest Gate is also designed with principles for sharing land exchange in mind. With increasing pressure on land for food, biodiversity, energy generation and carbon deposits, the approach of Eden integrates continuous agricultural use and improvement of habitats. Our industrial leadership in prioritizing biodiversity and nature restoration was one of the main reasons why Zero North Wiltshire wanted to work with us.
Progress so far
Since Zero North Wiltshire and Bath and West Community Energy invest in Forest Gate after the construction has been completed, there is enough time to work together to discuss deal conditions and structure, financial details, technical configuration and delivery program, making the community groups comfortable with the risks and returns of the project. Regular meetings ensure that everyone is up -to -date on the planned construction program and the grid connection data.
The community groups are now also starting to plan their local fund increases. Community investments and ownership of renewable energy projects have a successful track record that goes back for more than ten years, with more than £ 225 million invested in community energy from 2017 to 2023. Bath and West Community Energy Only has collected more than £ 23 million since it was founded in 2010.
With new impulse and support of large British energy, this can only increase – driven by a growing wish of retail investors to undertake meaningful climate action, to retain from ethical financial returns and control over local resources.
A blueprint for the future
Forest Gate is more than just a project for renewable energy; It is a working model for how commercial developers and communities can make value. By combining the development experience of Eden Renewables with the local expertise of groups such as Zero Chippenham/ Zero North Wiltshire and Bath and West Community Energy, the project ensures not only clean energy generation, but also deep, long -term local involvement.
The structure of the community possession gives residents a tangible interest in the green transition, so that energy is democratized and embedded in local economies. While the UK goes to its net zero goals, Forest Gate offers a compelling blueprint for how solar farms can deliver for climate, nature and people – together
