Swindon & Wiltshire News
Wiltshire businesses given the chance to go green with free solar panels
Businesses in parts of Wiltshire are being offered the opportunity to reduce their environmental impact and save money on their electricity bills by joining a community solar fund.
Bath & West Community Energy is offering free solar panel installation and maintenance for non-domestic buildings in the Bradford on Avon, Corsham, Trowbridge areas as part of its Community Solar 2020 programme.
The community enterprise will then sell the solar generated electricity to the building owner at least 10 percent cheaper than the grid. The business owner will also get to slash its carbon emissions.
Businesses also get the chance to invest in the programme, with an annual return of up to four percent.
And because BWCE is a Community Benefit Society, any surplus income from our solar power, after paying its community investors, is donated to local community projects to reduce emissions and fuel poverty. So far £155,000 has been donated to community projects.
BWCE managing director Pete Capener said: “The primary mission of BWCE is not to make money but to reduce local carbon emissions.
“Since our inception in 2010 we have installed solar power equivalent to the annual demand of 4,000 homes on schools, public buildings and at our ground mounted solar arrays.
“We believe that Community Solar 2020 offers a great opportunity for anyone concerned about the climate emergency to do something practical to reduce emissions, cut costs and increase the amount of community owned renewable energy.”
For more information visit www.bwce.coop/community-solar-2020
