The Moorhouse Lane Solar Array is a 1.836 megawatt solar farm located on 11 acres of agricultural land in Portishead, UK. It took several years to develop through community fundraising and partnerships. A £2.012 million share offer in 2014 raised funds to purchase the project and have it constructed. The solar array became fully operational in April 2015 and now generates over 860,000 kWh annually, saving 450 tonnes of carbon while providing £130,000 in annual income.

1. Moorhouse Lane Solar Array
The story of a community energy
project

2. Moorhouse Solar Array
7200 x 255W BenQ panels = 1,836
kWp
Annual yield 960 kW/kWp = 1.76MWh
Total cost £2.012M
Annual income = £187,500
11 acres Grade 3 agricultural land

3. Timeline to Moorhouse solar array (1)
2010
Community
energy
workshop with
The Converging
World
2009
Transition
Portishead
set up
April 2011
Low Carbon
Gordano
established
Nov 2011
First 6
community
roof
schemes
abandoned
Mar 2012
£100,000
LEAF
funding
2012
Partnership
formed
with BWCE

4. Timeline to Moorhouse solar array (2)
Nov 2013
NS planners
reject
300kW project
(Green Belt)
2013
BWCE
support
300kW solar
project
Jan 2014
BWCE offer
LCG
Moorhouse
Project
May 2014
Moorhouse
receives
planning
consent
Jun 2014
£2.2M
community
Share offer
for
Moorhouse
Sep 2014
£2.2M
raised
Sep 2014
Solarsense
awarded
contract
April 2015
Moorhouse
fully
operational

5. Moorhouse share offer
Who invested(1)?
71%
29%

6. Moorhouse share offer
Who invested(2)?
29%30%
26%
13%

7. Moorhouse share offer
Who invested (3)?

8. Moorhouse share offer
How did the money come in?
25% wk6
50%
wk10
75%
wk11
100%
wk12
EIS
Approved
wk5 £600,000
Underwriting
Facility
wk8
Share
offer
Extended
wk8
388
Members
£5,700
Average
investment

9. Ham Lane share offer
25% wk4
50% wk5
75% wk7
100%
wk7
EIS
Approved
wk3 175 investors
85 new members
£5,600 average
investment

10. The Moorhouse project (1)
Jul 2013
1st
Planning
application
by ORTA solar
withdrawn
Jan 2014
BWCE agree
Heads of Terms
with ORTA
Jan 2014
BWCE offer project
To LCG
May 2014
Planning consent
Granted –
BWCE purchase
Scheme from ORTA
29 Nov 2013
2nd Planning
application
by ORTA solar
Jun 2014
LCG launches
share offer for £2.2M
With BWCE support
Jul 2014
Solarsense chosen
as contractor
SEP 2014
Share offer successful
LCG puchases
scheme
from BWCE
Oct 2014
EPC contract agreed
with Solarsense

11. The Moorhouse project (2)
Oct 2014
Delays due to
Pipeline crossing,
Unexploded bomb
survey
Dec 2014
Solarmax inverter
manufacturer ceases
Trading - 8 week
delay
FIT deadline missed
Apr 2015
Site fully operational
Mar 2015
G59 test complete-
Site connected to grid
Nov 2014
Site works start
Feb 2015
New Lti Inverters
on site
May 2015
Mayor of Bristol
George Ferguson
Launches solar array
July 2015
Final performance
testing

12. Moorhouse today
860,000 kWh
450 tonnes
£130,000
Generation
Carbon saved
Income