New cooperative launches share offer to harness the power of the sun for community benefit

The Edinburgh Community Solar Cooperative is an opportunity for Edinburgh residents to co-operatively own solar panels.

Dave Hawkey, a Research Fellow exploring sustainable energy in the School of Political and Social Science, is a founding member of the Edinburgh Community Solar Cooperative. The coop, working with the city council, has launched an ambitious project to install solar panels on the roofs of community buildings such as schools and leisure centres.

The coop aims to raise £1.4m to fund the project, and is currently offering Edinburgh’s residents and organisations the chance to become members by investing anything between £250 and £10,000. As well as having a say on the coop’s activities, members will receive a 5% return each year.

The project is a fantastic opportunity for Edinburgh residents to participate in deployment of renewable energy. Edinburgh, with its world heritage zone and high number of shared roofs, has very few solar panels compared with elsewhere in the UK and the second lowest ratio of panels to households in Scotland.

The coop will contribute to building community resilience in Edinburgh. It will create a community benefit fund which will grow significantly over the life of the project and be used to support further action on sustainable energy, including tackling fuel poverty and developing further opportunities for Edinburgh residents to participate in making the city greener.

To request a share offer document or to find out more, text SUNSHINE to 60777, or visit www.edinburghsolar.coop.

The share offer will close at the end of November.