Our immediate aim in terms of energy generation is to develop and finance 1.5 MW of projects – enough electricity to power 1000 houses.
An overview of our Business Plan can be found in the Documents section of the website (Documents).
We are focusing on solar, photovoltaic (PV), hydro and wind projects. These are reliable technologies with a long track record of success. We will use suppliers that can offer long-term guarantees on the installed plant.
We will raise approx £5 million to finance the projects through a combination of member subscriptions (shares), bank loans and financial partnerships.
A significant share of the profits from projects will be put into a Community Fund which can be used to finance more local, low carbon projects.
BWCE is in discussions with Bath and North East Somerset Council about maximising the proportion of the local 2026 (draft) renewable energy target of 110 MW that will be delivered via a community model.
In order to develop a project we will:
- Carry out a feasibility assessment
- Consult widely with communities and other important interests and groups
- Prepare a detailed development proposal
- Submit a planning application (if needed)
- Negotiate contracts with electricity companies for connection and off-take
- Raise finance for the project
- Manage construction and commissioning of the project
- Manage, operate and maintain the project over its lifetime