- Shropshire village raises £3.5m to own a solar farm.
- The solar farm can power 825 homes a year.
A village in Shropshire has raised £565,000 and secured a further £3 million from Bristol-based Triodos Bank UK to bring a solar farm into 100% community ownership.
The 3.2MW solar farm, located on the outskirts of Sheriffhales village, consists of nearly 12,000 panels and can generate enough renewable electricity to power 825 homes annually.
It is owned by the non-profit Sheriffhales Community Energy, which was set up to generate income for the parish.
Initially commissioned in 2016 by a commercial renewable company, the solar farm was brought into part-community ownership through Mongoose Energy and in 2018 through short-term investment from a social investment fund.
The latest financial arrangement will enable the repayment of the short-term loan, bringing the solar farm into long-term community ownership.
Peter Bonsall, Chair and Trustee of Sheriffhales Community Energy, said: “Sheriffhales is now one of the few villages in the UK to own its solar farm. Bringing the solar farm into community ownership will bring more income to the parish than the parish council precept. We will use those funds to help address some of the challenges we face as a rural community, to tackle fuel poverty and other urgent village needs.”