Funded Solar Systems for the Community

Ferry Farm Community Solar is a not-for-profit community energy project. We generate green electricity and income from our 5MW solar farm between Selsey and Sidlesham in West Sussex, and use the surplus funds to support community projects in Selsey, Sidlesham and the surrounding areas.

We have funding available to help local schools and community buildings install solar PV under two finance models. Both guarantee savings with no upfront cost and build a long-term legacy fund for our communities.

Solar Soft Loans for community building PV

Ferry Farm’s Solar Soft Loan helps community organisations and local councils install rooftop solar panels. There’s no upfront cost, no roof lease and no long-term commitment to a power purchase price. You own the system from day one, pay lower energy bills and can earn from any surplus electricity you export to the grid. Repayments are based on a share of your actual cost savings. All repaid funds are reinvested in a local low-carbon fund that helps more local schools and community buildings go green.

How does it work?

Ferry Farm provides a Solar Soft Loan to the community building to pay for a solar PV system. We can help with feasibility assessments, and with procuring and managing installers if needed.
The community building owns the solar system and is responsible for maintaining it. The solar electricity it generates is free to use. Every kWh of solar electricity used on site is one less kWh bought from a supplier, so the building saves money. It also earns an income by selling surplus solar electricity to the grid (export income).
Repayments are based only on actual net savings. Each year you repay 50% of that year’s net savings, after an allowance for maintenance costs. For example, if the community building saves £1,000, the loan repayment is £500.
If savings are lower than expected, for example because the building uses less electricity, power prices drop or there’s less sunshine, repayments go down and the loan is repaid more slowly. If the loan amount (plus inflation) hasn’t been repaid after 20 years, the outstanding balance is written off.
Ferry Farm recovers the loan over time and reinvests it in a local low-carbon revolving loan fund, helping other schools and community buildings go green.

Power Purchase Agreement for school solar

Schools currently aren’t allowed to borrow, so we can’t use our Solar Soft Loan for school solar. Instead, Ferry Farm funds school solar through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The PPA price is set at a discount to what the school pays for electricity from the grid, so the school is guaranteed a saving.

How does it work?

Ferry Farm Community Solar enters into a roof lease arrangement with the school and installs solar panels on the school roof at no upfront cost to the school.
Ferry Farm Community Solar owns the solar panels and is responsible for maintenance costs.
Solar electricity used by the school as it is generated is sold to the school via a PPA. The PPA price is set at a discount (e.g. 20-30%) to the school's going rate for electricity supplied from the grid so a saving is guaranteed.
Ferry Farm Community Solar earns additional income from the sale of surplus electricity to the grid.
At the end of 20 years Ferry Farm Community Solar will remove the solar panels or donate them to the school.
Ferry Farm Community Solar will re-invest any surplus income generated into a local low carbon revolving loan fund and help other schools and community buildings do the same as you.

The roof lease requires the consent of the Academy Trust (if applicable), council and Dept of Education.

If you’re interested in Ferry Farm’s Solar Soft Loan or Solar PPA for your school or community building, please get in touch with our manager, Communities for Renewables CIC:

📞 01209 707600
📧 ross@cfrcic.co.uk

Solar Soft Loan vs Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

Solar Soft Loan model:

Solar Soft Loan model for community organisations:
No upfront cost for the community organisation.
Ferry Farm provides soft loan to the community organisation, enabling them to purchase the PV system.
Community organisation owns the equipment.
No roof lease or PPA.
Community organisation consumes the solar power used on-site for free, which has the value of the avoided cost of their normal electricity supply.
Community organisation earns income from sale of surplus electricity to the grid.
Community organisation repays the soft loan over time out of half the savings generated by the solar, so the effective PPA rate is half price electricity whatever the market rate is. If the savings are less than expected, the soft loan will get paid slower or may not get repaid in full.
Money paid back to Ferry Farm is recycled into supporting more community projects.

Power Purchase Agreement

for schools:

No upfront cost for the school.
Ferry Farm funds and owns the equipment.
20+ year roof lease.
School pays for solar power consumed on-site via a 20 year power purchase agreement (PPA) – this can be a fixed price/kWh (+inflation) to give price certainty or a discount to the school's normal supply rate to guarantee a saving.
Export income goes to Ferry Farm.
Money paid back to Ferry Farms recycled into supporting more community projects.