Solar array fitted on headquarters of motorsports firm Prodrive is being funded via a community share offer
The UK's largest community-owned rooftop solar project is now generating clean electricity for Oxfordshire-based motorsports firm Prodrive, its developers Low Carbon Hub announced yesterday.
The 636kw array, installed on the roof of Prodrive's headquarters in Banbury, Oxfordshire, is expected to save more than 5,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the lifetime of the 20-year project. The 2,446-panel array is expected to deliver 39 per cent of the site's electricity needs.
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It is being funded through loans and Low Carbon Hub's community share offer, which gives local residents a chance to invest money into a local solar scheme.
One third of the installation's revenue - around £240,000 - will go into a community benefit fund for use by local residents, the company said.
"As we are developing the next generation of automotive electric and hybrid systems here in Banbury, it was very obvious that we should use our roof space to generate clean energy for the building," Prodrive chairman David Richard said in a statement. "The scheme run by the Low Carbon Hub is an excellent way to reduce our carbon footprint, lower our energy bills, while also generating significant funds to re-invest in further schemes within the local community."
Low Carbon Hub's community share offer remains open for new investment until October 3 2016, the company said.
In related news, Welsh renewable energy advisor Dulas predicts the "next big European solar opportunity" lies in developing brownfield sites in Ireland.
In a report published last week, Dulas estimated up to 3GW of new solar capacity could be developed on brownfield sites across the country, often with significant commercial advantages over greenfield sites.
"The Irish solar market is one that can offer the right incentives to construction and development, with all the benefits of building in a mature Western European economy," Alistair Marsden, sales and marketing director at Dulas, said in a statement. "As our Irish Brownfield Report reveals, brownfield construction in Ireland enables swifter and easier planning, and the potential for improved grid accessibility."
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