Investing in Solar Power
Do you want to help support the growth of solar power generation in the UK through investment? The ideal organisation to support is the Big Solar Co-op (BSC). They are a non-profit co-operative that installs solar panels on "big roofs", sites like factories, supermarkets and community buildings, where there is both an underlying energy need and suitable roof space for arrays of solar panels. Their key selling point is that they buy, install and own the panels themselves, thereby eliminating the need for upfront capital investment from businesses. BSC then sell the power generated back to the business at a competitive rate that reduces their energy bills under a long-term contract - see this quick three minute "explainer video". In order to fund their activity the Big Solar Co-op needs investors, who can expect a fair rate of return on their investment (minimum £100). However, this is not like investing in the traditional stock market, the shares are for long term investment and for those that want to make their money work for sustainable, ethical reasons to the benefit of the planet. BSC is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority and as with any investment there is risk associated. For full details of their award-winning approach go to the BSC website, where you will find all the information you need. See below for a personal testimonial and presentation on investing in BSC.
Investing in the Big Solar Co-op - a Personal view from an Arnside Resident
I first became aware of the Big Solar Co-op a couple of years ago when I was looking into ways of investing in the green sector and was immediately attracted by their concept, business model and ethos. There are a small number of paid professionals that work for BSC, but much of the work is done by a band of 100+ volunteers, who look for new sites and perform triage, a simple system to see if a potential site is worth investigating in more detail. I decided to become both an investor member and a volunteer member in BSC. They started out in the midlands but are expanding their geographical spread all the time. But to focus too much on where their existing sites are is to miss the point, as in many ways it does not matter where the solar power is being generated, but that the overall capacity is being expanded at scale. It's a great organisation to belong to and I thoroughly recommend it either as an investor or a volunteer.
Below is a presentation that was given by me to Sustainable Arnside that explains more about BSC and the investment process. If you happen to be from a group that would be interested in receiving an updated version of this presentation then get in touch via sustainablearnside@gmail.com.
Paul Bates
November 2025
