Where
Chelworth Industrial Estate, adjacent to Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Blakehill Nature Reserve
When
2014
What
1MW ground-mounted solar PV array
Chelworth was WWCE’s first community-owned solar installation that saw us raise £650,000 of the £1.2 million investment via a public share offer.
Work on the project began in the spring of 2014 and the arrays were operational by June, generating enough clean energy to supply around 370 homes with power every year.
Working closely with the Wilshire Wildlife Trust, WWCE manages this site as an example of how nature and sustainable energy solutions can work in harmony. By creating wildflower meadows on site, we’re helping to replace some of the 97% that have been lost since the 1930s.
During the installation a new pond was dug, creating the ideal environment for the Great Crested Newts who call Chelworth home to thrive. Butterflies, damselflies, bees, rabbits and roe deer have also been spotted in the array.
