Large providers are creating large scale solar or wind farms around the UK, but these often do not benefit the local community
The idea is to create a fund of Gov backed loans and grants to allow communities to purchase or lease local land close to a village and install solar panels and possibly small scale wind turbines to create a supply of green electricity directly for the benefit of the community
The orchard would be set up as a cooperative with a board of Directors mostly volunteers (possibly a couple of paid individuals depending upon work load) and shares issued (or at least offered) to every household within the community based on the electoral register or similar, Shares cannot be sold on or given away, if you move away you have to give up your share and if you move into the community you are automatically entitled to a share after a qualifying period. The solar orchard is run as a non profit business with either subsidised electricity or else dividends possibly in the form of discount vouchers for electricity
The grant element would cover the cost of consultants for the appraisal of land and connection to the supply and the technical side of what equipment to buy to suit the particulars of the site
The loan element would cover the initial purchase of the equipment and the professional install to be paid back from the electricity produced
Initially, prior to setting up the fund, the business model would have to be confirmed to ensure that there is sufficient revenue generated and that the model is viable
The idea is to encourage the community to come together to provide Green energy, but this could also allow other small industries within the site such as the use of bee hives, or grazing around the solar panels which are generally elevated on a metal framework
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