Wiltshire-based solar developer Eden Renewables has submitted its planning application to Wiltshire Council for a proposed solar farm on land east of Kington St Michael.
Red Barn solar farm will be the first in Wiltshire to offer local residents the chance to own a share of the solar farm.
This will save money on their electricity bills directly related to the energy generated by the project and energy prices, working with Ripple Energy.
Eden and Ripple are proposing that up to 20% of the solar farm would be owned and operated by a Cooperative set up by Ripple.
Local residents will be given preference to buy shares in the Coop from £25 and will then be in line to save about 25% on their electricity bills proportionate to their shareholding.
Sarah Merrick, chief executive and founder, Ripple Energy, said: “We’re excited to be bringing our consumer ownership energy model to Wiltshire and couldn’t have a better partner than Eden Renewables.
“The community has already been involved in the design of Red Barn solar farm so it makes sense that they should have the chance to own a share of it too.
“People are concerned about their energy bills going up more as well as climate change and this is a really simple way for them to tackle both issues.”
Ross Wolhuter, Head of Development UK at Eden Renewables, added: “Ripple Energy has a great track record of delivering substantial energy bill savings to their shareholders so we’re very pleased to be working with them.
“From the outset Red Barn Solar Farm was designed in close collaboration with the local community.
“The result is a renewable energy project which prioritises continuing agricultural use; creates a large new community access area for Kington St. Michael; and offers an innovative community ownership opportunity.”
The solar farm design was developed after a two-day collaborative workshop with local residents, known as an Enquiry by Design.
The site includes a 47-acre new community access area with an orchard, woodland pasture, wildflower meadows, seating and a new permissive footpath for access.
The project also provides land for allotments and an off-lead dog-walking area.
Other new permissive footpaths and bridleways will be created across the site to link up with existing Rights of Way creating circular routes.
To minimise visual impact from the village, the three fields closest to Kington St. Michael are excluded from solar development.
They will continue to be farmed and will provide skylark plots. Extensive new tree and hedgerow planting will help screen the panels providing new wildlife habitats.
The site is on lower grade agricultural land, mainly ALC Grade 4, and will prioritise continuing agricultural use with sheep grazing under and around the panels and intermittent cattle grazing in part of the community access area.
As well as consumer ownership, the solar farm includes a community and educational benefit fund of £24,000 per year, rising with inflation, for its 40-year lifetime to be invested in local educational, social and environmental projects, common to all Eden Renewables solar projects.
The solar farm will have a capacity of 40MW AC that would generate enough renewable electricity to supply the equivalent of 15,000 average Wiltshire homes.
It would save an estimated 13,700 tonnes of CO2 pollution per year, making a substantial contribution to local and national net zero targets.
Wiltshire currently only generates 6% of its electricity from renewables and has a target to become net zero by 2030.