UK investors have a chance to invest in the UK’s first co-operatively owned, recycled solar park to be built on a former coal mine.
The bond offer has launched on positive impact investing platform Ethex, giving investors a tax-efficient opportunity to support the 3.5 MW solar park in Whiteborough, Nottinghamshire. The project is being delivered by Big Solar Co-op – a growing member organisation of over 1,100 solar energy pioneers funding and building clean energy on sites ranging from rooftops of large buildings to underused low-grade land.
The Whiteborough site lies in a former opencast coalfield area which Big Solar is repurposing for clean energy. In the future, the co-op hopes to sell solar electricity directly to local people, reducing bills and increasing energy independence.
The project will use a mix of ethically sourced and recycled solar panels from a decommissioned solar farm, with the aim generating 3000 MWh of electricity annually for at least 25 years – enough to power hundreds of homes and cut up to 621 tonnes of CO₂e annually.
The bond offer will run for 90 days and the project itself is due to be completed in late 2025.
Big Solar says the scheme sets a new benchmark for sustainable infrastructure by possibly being the first UK solar installation at this scale to use second-life solar panels: around 35% of the panels are sourced from a UK solar farm that would otherwise be sending them for recycling. The remaining panels have been ethically sourced to avoid potential human rights abuses in their supply chain, an issue highlighted by Big Solar at the 2023 Community Energy England conference.
The Whiteborough project is scaled to fit the local landscape and does not displace land that could be used for farming or food production. The sensitive design aims to increase biodiversity on site, so it creates a benefit for local wildlife, including native hedgerow planting, wildlife habitats, and
wildflower-rich grassland.
“This bond offer from the Big Solar Co-op is more than a financial opportunity for investors,” said Ethex CEO Lisa Ashford. “It’s a chance to be part of something bigger: a grassroots movement putting clean energy in the hands of communities. It is heartening to see a project that is taking advantage of making good use of very low grade disused land and has biodiversity as a goal in its build. At the same time, every pound invested supports the growing UK community-led energy movement while potentially earning an attractive return.”
Big Solar CEO Jon Halle said: “We got tired of waiting for someone else to unlock the huge potential of the UK’s rooftops and underused spaces for solar. So, we took action. Now, we’re inviting people across the country to join us, not just as investors, but as active changemakers in thetransition to clean energy using an open-cast mine. Thanks to our co-operative structure, we can make more sustainable and low carbon choices when it comes to sourcing land, materials, and partnerships.”
With over 1,100 members already and 11 rooftop installs, the Big Solar Co-op empowers people to develop new solar projects in their local community. A national training programme – the UK’s first Community Solar Foundation Course – will launch in 2025.
And with over 40 new solar projects planned, including solar installations for 26 Midcounties Co-operative stores, Big Solar aims to deliver 100 MW of new solar capacity in the coming years.
The bond offer empowers UK investors seeking to make a positive social and environmental impact with their money to easily do so in a tax-efficient bond.
Minimum investment is £100, with a target return of 5.5% per annum, IFISA eligible.As ever, capital is at risk and investors should read the full Bond Offer Document and seek financial advice if needed.
