Wedmore Community Power Cooperative is a community power venture formed as a partnership between Wedmore Green Group and Rooftop Consulting Ltd. The aim of the group is to construct two solar farms, or, more correctly, solar paddocks, to the north of the village of Wedmore in rural Somerset, UK. After some objections, the planning for the project was approved, on 9th April, by Sedgemoor District Council enabling the group to issue the first of two share offers.
The planned solar paddocks consist of a 1MW array on the northern outskirts of the village with a possible second such array, depending on the response to the project within the community. The arrays, which will consist of 4,000 REC solar panels selected because of that company’s efficient manufacturing process, are expected to generate enough power to supply 300 homes when complete and will occupy 1.7 hectares and 0.75 hectares of land respectively. The power will be fed into the local power grid, but it may be possible to export some excess power into the national grid during the summer months. Wedmore Community Power Coop are working on a 27-year finance model with an expected life of the project of well in excess of twenty years.
The groups initial Pioneer Share Offer is the first of two offers to be released with the second following in June 2013. The Pioneer Share Offer is more appropriate to those already associated with the project or potential members of the group familiar with the attendant risk. The aim is to raise £150,000 of initial capital in order to begin developing the project. It will also provide certain benefits in that there may be better tax incentives than the second, main, share offer with possible improved chances of receiving a maximum share allocation.
The second share offer, to follow in June, will follow when specifications and contracts have been finalised and the project is under way. This share offer will be used to raise the bulk of the funds required for the completion of the project.
The project will be entirely low-impact with grazing access retained and with panels elevated on framing 1 metre (3.3 ft) off the ground and screened by locally-sourced hedging and fencing.
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