Project Summary
Nadder Community Energy (NCE) is working towards installing 262.08 KWp ground mounted solar panels at an existing free-range chicken farm. The energy will be available to those in the Energy Local Tisbury club at a lower cost, at the time of generation. This encourages members of the club to use electricity when it is being generated and cuts down costs for the network operator as the electricity is being used locally.
Background
NCE aims to promote resilience and energy efficiency within the Nadder Valley local community to mitigate climate change and advertise clean, green energy production and practices. Surplus revenue from the new solar farm will go into their Community Benefit Fund, which supports initiatives such as their ‘Warmer at Home’ project, providing expert advice on heat loss and comfort to local homes and businesses.
Our Role
The South West Net Zero Hub has supported NCE through their Stage 1 and Stage 2 feasibility studies. In total, they have been awarded over £70,000 in Community Energy Fund (CEF) grants to complete the studies, which have enabled them to secure planning permission for the site – the first CEF project in the South West to do so!
Location
The ground mounted panels will be sited at a free-range chicken farm in Tisbury, Wiltshire.
Technology
NCE plan to install a 262.08 KWp ground mounted solar array at the farm.
Financing and Ownership
In addition to the CEF grants, NCE have received capital funding from Energy Redress which will supplement the funds raised through a community share offer.
Results
NCE have secured planning permission for the site and are poised to launch their community share offer once final legal agreements have been signed. It is anticipated that construction will start in early 2027. They expected to face some local resistance to the development but found none. They used a lot of the CEF grant on community engagement, events and neighbourhood meetings which has helped to get local residents on board with the project.
Lessons Learnt
With such a small team, NCE is reliant on the skills of a core group of people. This could be difficult if someone became ill or unable to continue with the project. They therefore learned the importance of keeping everyone on the team up to date with milestones, experts and stakeholders.
In Stage 2, they learned the virtue of patience, as the planning decision was significantly delayed and signing agreements with the landowner has taken far longer than anticipated.
Benefits
In addition to the community benefits, the project will reduce carbon emissions and lower energy costs for the local community, while building energy resilience.
Next Steps
Once the site is constructed and generating electricity, an Energy Local club will be used to deliver electricity straight to local people at times of peak generation, reducing demand on grid electricity and lowering people’s bills.
| KEY FACTS | |
| Strategic priority | Reduce carbon emissions and lower energy costs for the local community |
| Energy generation/saving | 262.08 KWp |
| Timeline/key milestones | Planning permission granted in April 2026 |
| Carbon saving | 2772.8tCO2 over 25 years projected |
| Project website | www.nadderce.org.uk/Projects/ |
Watch a 3 minute film about Nadder Community Energy