- Ripple Energy marks a historic new chapter in the green energy ownership movement, with Britain’s first shared solar park
- Households have a chance to buy and part-own the solar park with thousands of others
Ripple Energy can today reveal that Britain’s first shared solar park will be built at Derril Water in Devon. The project, developed by leading renewable energy company RES, will provide an alternative way solar parks can be owned in Britain. The new consumer focused model allows people across the country to part-own solar parks and benefit directly from the cheap, green energy they produce. Shared solar is a new, affordable and simple way for households to act on climate change and shrink their carbon footprint.
This announcement comes as RES, who developed the project, enters an agreement to sell its Derril Water Solar Park to a Ripple managed co-operative.
By co-owning Derril Water Solar Park, members will be able to power their homes with green energy, slash energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint. Almost 20,000 people in Britain have already reserved a place in Ripple’s third project, and Ripple is urging interested households to come forward and buy shares when it opens to the public on the 26th April.
Ripple has already proven its model with two consumer-owned wind farms in Wales and Scotland (the UK’s first and the UK’s largest of its kind). Members of Ripple’s first project have saved on average over £300 each in the first year and their savings are set to rise to £977 this year. Clean energy ownership has proven to provide financial stability at a time where energy bills are sky-high.
Located in north west Devon, Derril Water Solar Park will be Ripple’s third and most ambitious project to date. It marks a significant milestone in Ripple’s mission to break down the barriers of green energy ownership and make it accessible to everyone.
Ripple’s involvement in Derril Water Solar Park comes just weeks after the IPCC’s latest report, which highlights the urgent need to implement more ambitious climate action plans towards achieving net zero by 2050. The government aims to decarbonise the UK’s electricity fully by 2035, in order to meet the long term goal of net zero by 2050. Ripple enables consumers to contribute to these critical targets, and directly own and fund the future of green energy.
Sarah Merrick, founder and CEO of Ripple Energy said:
“By offering consumer ownership, Derril Water Solar Park will become a completely different kind of solar park, one owned by the people it supplies low cost green power to. We want Derril Water to become a blueprint for consumer-owned solar parks around the world. We want to create a wave of green energy ownership that enables people to make a real climate impact, as well as stabilising their energy bills. People from all corners of Britain will be able to co-own Derril Water Solar Park, and we hope as many as possible become part of this pioneering project.”
Lucy Whitford, RES’ Managing Director – UK&I said:
“Bringing Ripple on board at Derril Water offers a new way for consumers to share in the benefits of renewable energy and play a part in fighting climate change. The ability for local households and businesses to get involved connects the community directly with the project. Ripple’s model at Derril Water provides a direct way for consumers to lower their energy costs at such a critical time.”
More about Derril Water Solar Park:
- Derril Water Solar Park will be up to 42MW, with the potential to power up to 14,000 homes across Devon and Britain
- During the development process, RES identified and selected the project due to its viable grid connection, good solar irradiance levels, ease of access and positioning outside of any statutory environmental, archaeological and landscape designations.
- RES designed Derril Water to be dual-purpose enabling solar and agriculture to co-exist – less than 4% of the land physically occupied by the arrays and infrastructure, allowing agriculture in the form of sheep grazing to continue on over 96% of the site during operation.
- There will be a range of biodiversity enhancements around the site including bee banks, wildflower meadows and new hedgerows, it is anticipated that the number of habitat units will be increased by 90% and there will be an increase of 30% of existing hedgerows.
