Following NCE’s very successful share offers in 2015 and 2018, which raised a combined total of about £600,000 to put solar panels on 10 farm/commercial buildings and five schools in the Nadder Valley, we are now looking to raise a further £315,000 to do the same with six schools on the north-west fringes of our area in Shaftesbury, Sherborne and Wincanton. This will bring our total solar generating capacity to nearly one whole megawatt of fossil-free, renewable energy, equivalent to a reduction of about 480 metric tonnes of CO2 a year, making a substantial contribution to Net Zero.
It's a very exciting prospect. Not only will the planet benefit, but the schools will do very well too – getting their electricity at well below the market price, saving their hard-pressed budgets so that they’ll have more to spend on staffing and learning resources. The six schools are part of the Sherborne Area Schools Trust (SAST) and the savings will be shared across all 18 schools in the Trust – a big bonus for hundreds of children.
But it’s not just about the money. As a spokesperson for SAST says: ‘Our schools, and the staff and students within them are very environmentally conscious, with nearly all our schools having their own Eco Clubs and Eco Councils. As a trust, doing our bit to lower our carbon footprint and reduce emissions is an important part of our commitment to make the world a better place for our children to grow up. We hope that we can encourage our communities to consider the importance of sustainability and incorporate environmental responsibility in all the work we do.’
Local communities will benefit more directly too. NCE is a not-for-profit society and all surplus income from the sale of our solar power will be transferred into a community fund designated for eco-friendly initiatives such as planting trees, reducing waste and tackling fuel poverty.
Finally, we expect a good return on investment, at medium risk. We anticipate an annual interest of 5% from Year 2 for a total term of 15 years, with annual tranches of capital repayments from Year 3, broadly in line with our previous share offers. Our financial projections have been assessed by the official standards body as conservative and robust, but, as with all such enterprises, there are risks attached and there may be times when targets are not reached.
You can invest as little as £100 or as much as £50,000 and each £1 buys one share. Each shareholder automatically becomes a member of NCE with equal voting rights however much they invest.
Full details will be on this website shortly. But in the meantime, if you'd like to be notified directly either by email or through the post, please fill out our Contact Form.
Alan Maryon-Davis
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