Mill Mead School

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An overview of our Mill Mead Solar Array project:

Thanks to parents, staff and local residents, we have installed 92 solar panels on Mill Mead school. The project began in June 2013. Our aim was to raise approximately £45,000 for the panels using a “community share offer” – basically parents and other local residents are offered “shares” in the array. The share offer raises the capital to pay for the panels. Electricity generated by the panels qualifies for the government Feed-In Tariff. This income is then used to repay share holders (plus maintenance and admin on the scheme etc). The scheme will run for 20 years, the period over which the FIT is guaranteed. The model looks something like this:

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What are the benefits?

The scheme will help tackle climate change but also strengthen the school’s links with the community by giving residents a stake in the array. It also offers those who don’t have the roof space, or the capital, a chance to join in clean energy generation. At the same time, it will provide a valuable educational resource for the staff and pupils at Mill Mead. And it’s an ethical investment – you will know precisely where your money is and what it is contributing towards, unlike conventional bank or stock market investments. Our projections indicate that over 20 years we can:

  • help to reduce Mill Mead school’s energy bills by generating electricity. This means the school won’t have to buy as much from its supplier, so freeing up cash which can be spent on other resources. This should save the school many thousands of pounds in electricity bills.
  • offer teachers and pupils at Mill Mead a valuable learning resource that can be used in a number of topic areas within the curriculum, including science, maths and technology.
  • offer those taking part in the scheme an opportunity to generate an income from an initial investment in shares. Other similar schemes are up and running and generally provide a 4-5% return on investment – though we stress that returns are not guaranteed. This project is about social investment rather than profit.
  • benefit the local community through reduced carbon emissions, by reducing energy losses via local rather than national power generation, and by providing leadership to encourage others in the community to address climate change issues. This kind of community energy scheme is a key part of the Government’s strategy to achieve its targets for energy production and greenhouse gas emission reductions. We calculate the Mill Mead Solar Power Array could save the community more than 200 tonnes of carbon emissions.
  • After 20 years, the panels can be gifted to the school. Since they are guaranteed for 30 years, the eventual savings for Mill Mead should be considerable.

Our Timeline

  • 1st September 2013 – Our prospectus is launched. We plan to hold a community share offer in November.
  • 9th October 2013 – We hold the first of series of meetings at the school to attract share-holders. Very succesful evening, and more than 30 residents attend.
  • 21st November 2013 – We meet at the White Horse pub in Castle Street on a Green Drinks night to discuss the idea with others.
  • 30th November 2013 – Share offer closes. We have raised more than £45,000!
  • December 2013 – We selected Chelsfield Solar as the installer based on 4 tenders we received. Panels and subsiduary equipment is selected.
  • January 2014 – Engineer’s survey has given us the thumb’s up for the roof panels. And discussions with our local energy network owner to sort out connection details are positive and it raises no issues, according to UK Power Networks.
  • February 2014 – Have confirmed that there are no problems with insurance with HCC re insurance for panels and school. HCC has given us landlords approval for installation to proceed. HMRC have agreed that HEN will qualify for Seed Enterprise Investment Allowance, so investors who are taxpayers can apply for tax relief.
  • February 2014 – HCC has given HEN planning permission for the installation.
  • March 2014 – Installation begins as the first of 92 275W panels arrive at the school.
  • April 11th 2014 – Chelsfield Solar connects up the last of the panels and they begin generating power for the grid! Thanks to all HEN’s members for supporting us!
  • June 11th – We celebrate the installation with a launch party at Mill mead, together with installers, investors and Mill Mead staff! Also receive news that Good Energy is proceeding with the FIT application.

News: May 2015 The panels have performed very well in the first year of operation and have generated exactly as predicted in terms of electricity yield. Our AGM took place on June 17th 2015 7-8pm at Mill Mead.

A growing movement

There are already hundreds of community benefit companies across the UK that have used share offers in this way, including dozens of community energy generating schemes that have followed this model, for example Green Energy Nayland, which has installed solar panels on a primary school in Nayland, Suffolk. Similar community energy projects are running successfully in Brighton, Lewes, Sheffield, Bristol, Oxford…