Investment platform Ethex has opened a bond offer for a 3.5 MW solar farm on a former opencast coalfield area in Whiteborough, Nottinghamshire.
The project is being delivered by Big Solar Co-op Ltd, which said it hopes to sell solar electricity directly to local people.
In the 3.5MW project, due to be completed in late 2025, around 35% of the panels be recycled solar panels from a decommissioned solar farm that would otherwise be sending them for recycling. Ethex said it was possibly the first UK solar installation at this scale to use second-life solar panels.
The bond offer will run for 90 days, with a minimum investment of £100, with capital at risk.
Lisa Ashford, CEO of Ethex, said: “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.”
Jon Halle, CEO of the Big Solar Co- op, 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 the transition 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.”