FAQs

A PPA is a long term renewable energy contract between  CENF and consumer (usually building owner / user). Ou PPAs ensure that consumers are paying lower prices today and will be protected from any volatile energy price rises in the longer term.

We are responsible for insuring the panels for public liability. Partnering businesses and schools should add the panels to their contents/ buildings policies for damage/loss. This is normally done at a nominal cost.

CENF will own the panels for an agreed period of time as set out in the lease agreement, after which they will revert to the site owner.

We, like the majority of community energy organisations are constituted as a Community Benefit Society, which is similar to a Cooperative. The key features of CBSs are that they:

• Exist for the benefit of the community rather than their members. Profits must be reinvested back into the community but interest on shares can be paid.
• Are governed by a set of Rules and a board of Directors.
• Are able to raise share capital through community shares or bonds.
• Are registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014.

All members are treated equally and have one vote each.

We will monitor the performance of the panels throughout the contract period. If there is a generation problem, we are responsible for getting the panels fixed. We are responsible for costs associated with maintenance, cleaning etc.

Some sites do lend themselves to term time installation better than others, but where this isn’t practical, we will look for a holiday installation date. We can be flexible on installation dates, if we have plenty of notice. A safe installation is of course of paramount importance and we work closely with the site owners to ensure we meet all of their requirements.

We pay for the panels and raise the money by issuing community shares, via a share raise. Community shares are invested in by members of the public and a rate of return is paid back on their investment through the revenue generated by the sale of electricity to the site and any surplus energy sold back to the Grid.

The panels will be given to the business / school. They will continue generating, providing the site with free electricity for many more years.

This varies depending on the price the site currently pays for its electricity, the potential size of the community owned solar array and the Power Purchase Agreement we negotiate with you. The price will be determined through the modelling and assessment carried out during the feasibility stage and shared with  the site owner before final commitment.