Largest roll-out of solar power in Wales

IssueOctober - November 2019
News by Lotte Reimer

Not-for-profit, community-owned enterprise Egni Co-op has embarked on a major scheme in Wales to install over 5,000kW of rooftop solar panels on over 250 sites, including golf, football and rugby clubs, businesses, community centres, universities, a brewery, leisure centres and schools.

Launching the community share offer in June, director Rosie Gillam said: ‘This is an opportunity for Wales to take the lead in tackling climate change, and we want as many people as possible to get involved in this co-operative effort’.

The team behind this share offer have already delivered 179kW of rooftop solar on seven sites during Egni Co-op’s first share offer in 2014 and built a 4.7MW community wind farm, commissioned in January 2017, through Awel Co-op, which raised over £3m from a community share offer.

‘To me, community-owned renewable energy is part of our constructive programme’, said Egni investor Brian Jones. ‘Alongside opposing nuclear and fossil fuels, we’re investing in creating low-carbon, decentralised energy, which serves the community and keeps the profits local.’