• Swindon & Wiltshire Eco
• Monday August 4 2025

Energy enterprise share offer raises £500,000 for Devizes rooftop solar project

Solar energy enterprise Wiltshire Wildlife Community Energy (WWCE) has raised half a million pounds with its first public share offer for more than a decade.

The successful crowdfunder has enabled the group to bring over 1,000 solar panels on the rooftops of Silverwood School’s Rowde campus under community ownership.

The special school in Devizes has undergone a period of major redevelopment, with Wiltshire Council pumping £38 million into a new sustainable building that is home to a state-of-the-art centre of specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

A total of 1,087 community-owned solar panels are now generating green electricity to run the school, with surplus power exported to the local grid.

Thanks to the project’s 200-plus investors, WWCE will also be able to make an annual contribution of £5,000 to a ring-fenced community fund, designed to develop and support the delivery of environmental education initiatives in partnership with Silverwood School.

Julian Barlow, chair of WWCE, said: “The Silverwood School project embodies what can be achieved when people come together with purpose, with the majority of our investors committing small amounts on the basis that they support renewable energy and community objectives.

“This solar installation will reduce the school’s reliance on fossil fuels, cut energy costs, and provide long-term environmental and educational benefits. We’re proud that students at Silverwood will not only learn in a cleaner environment but also gain a real-life understanding of sustainability in action.”

Sean McKeown, executive headteacher at Silverwood School, said: “Our partnership with WWCE, supported by other stakeholders, is helping us benefit from a reliable supply of clean solar electricity generated onsite at our new campus for children and young people with SEND.

“Over time, the project will also contribute vital funds to support ecological initiatives that enrich our educational offer and reflect our commitment to sustainability.”