Ground-mounted solar done right
The Big Solar Co-op’s approach is simple: rooftops first, then ground-mounted solar done right.
This award winning non-profit solar cooperative exists to develop community-owned solar projects that might not otherwise be delivered by commercial developers, with an emphasis on reducing carbon emissions, supporting local communities and creating wider environmental benefits. Its primary focus is rooftop solar, with more than 22 rooftop installations already generating close to 2 MW of clean electricity across the country.
The Whiteborough Solar Park in Nottinghamshire is the Big Solar Co-op’s only ground-mounted solar project to date. For the co-op, it represents an opportunity to demonstrate how carefully designed, community-owned solar can make productive use of agriculturally poor land while enhancing biodiversity and contributing to the transition away from harmful fossil fuels.
From coal mine to solar park
Whiteborough was dotted with small coal mine workings over centuries of small-scale coal extraction. In the 1950s and 1960s Whiteborough was turned into an opencast mine, the coal extracted and the site filled in. Although the restoration was successful and the site now appears to be an unremarkable field, it is classified as low-grade agricultural land (Grade 4) and is currently used as rough pasture for grazing a small number of horses.
Rather than building on high-quality agricultural land, this solar project makes use of a relatively small area of ground that is not used for growing food. With a generating capacity of approximately 3.5 MW and covering around 10 acres, Whiteborough is deliberately modest in scale compared with many of the UK’s largest proposed solar farms, which are typically around 50 MW and can exceed 850 MW.
The solar installation is also fully reversible, meaning the land could be returned to alternative uses in the future if required.
A fresh approach to solar development
The Big Solar Co-op has worked hard to make Whiteborough an example of what responsible ground-mounted solar can look like.The project combines a former industrial site, community ownership, biodiversity enhancement, ethical sourcing and the reuse of existing solar equipment.
Phase 1 of the project consists of approximately 2 MW of new solar panels. Phase 2 will add a further 1.5 MW using second-life solar panels recovered from existing solar installations, making Whiteborough one of the most resource efficient solar projects in the UK.
Around 45% of the completed installation will be made up of reused panels, which Big Solar Co-op believes is a UK first for a project of this kind. The remaining panels have been sourced through supply chains that avoid forced labour and support higher ethical standards within the solar industry.
Giving solar panels a second life
A major milestone for the project was achieved in spring 2026 when the first 1008 reused solar panels were collected from a donor site in Lincolnshire.
The original solar installation was being removed and replaced as part of a redevelopment project. Before the panels were acquired, detailed performance data and condition assessments were reviewed, followed by independent testing of representative sample panels. The results confirmed that the panels remained suitable for long-term electricity generation.
The experience of assessing, recovering and transporting the panels is being documented so that lessons learned can be shared with the wider renewable energy sector. Financial support from the Great British Energy Community Fund helped fund the work required to integrate second-life panels into the project.
By extending the useful life of existing solar equipment, the Whiteborough project reduces waste, lowers embodied carbon and demonstrates how circular economy principles can be applied in renewable energy projects.
Generating clean energy
The first phase of the solar park is now approaching energisation, with final high-voltage works underway. Once operational, Phase 1 is expected to generate approximately 1683 MWh of renewable electricity every year, supplying clean energy to the local grid and helping reduce carbon emissions.
The Whiteborough project has contracted to sell its power to Younity, a joint venture between Octopus Energy and Our Coop, one the UK’s largest energy retail co-ops. The generated electricity will be used by Younity’s Community Power Club initiative, which aims to match community-owned renewable generation with electricity demand and explore new ways of delivering the benefits of solar energy more directly to consumers. When power club members consume power at the same time that the Whiteborough solar park panels are generating, they’ll receive a discount on their electricity bill.
Biodiversity at its heart
A key objective at Whiteborough is to deliver environmental improvements alongside renewable energy generation. Ecological surveys found no protected species on the site and relatively few species of note. This creates an opportunity to enhance biodiversity through long-term habitat creation and management.
Planned improvements include:
- Planting more than 4,000 native trees and shrubs to establish new hedgerows around the site.
- Creating species-rich wildflower grassland.
- Installing nesting boxes for farmland birds.
- Providing access routes through perimeter fencing for brown hares and other small mammals.
- Managing grassland through carefully planned mowing and grazing regimes.
Together, these features are designed to help the solar park blend into the surrounding landscape while delivering measurable biodiversity gains over the current land use.
Research from organisations including the RSPB and the University of Cambridge suggests that well managed solar farms can support significantly higher levels of biodiversity than intensively managed agricultural land. Whiteborough aims to demonstrate how these benefits can be delivered in practice.
Due to exceptionally wet winter ground conditions, some hedgerow planting work has been rescheduled for autumn 2026, creating opportunities for local volunteers and community groups to become involved.
Community ownership in action
Last year, Big Solar Co-op raised funds for the Whiteborough project via tax-efficient bond offer on the ethical investment platform, Ethex, which reached its £1.8 million stretch target within just 3 months. This rapid response demonstrates the level of public interest in and enthusiasm for community-owned renewable energy projects that combine climate action with environmental stewardship.
The Whiteborough Solar Park bond offer is now closed but the Big Solar Co-op’s rolling share offer remains open. Anyone can invest from £100, become a member and get a fair return on their investment while supporting the development of clean ‘homegrown’ energy.
Building skills and growing community energy
Alongside continuous development of rooftop solar projects, the Big Solar Co-op is helping to build skills across the community energy sector, by running a low-cost Community Solar Foundation course.
The course is supported by partners including the Westmill Energy Cooperative and the Energy Learning Network. The programme provides practical training to help members of the public develop the knowledge needed to support rooftop solar projects in their own communities.
The Big Solar Co-op is also actively seeking new rooftop solar opportunities and continues to prioritise rooftop installations wherever possible. Suitable sites typically include commercial or community buildings with at least 250 square metres of available roof space and electricity bills of around £1500 per month or more. Learn more here on their website about how to submit a suitable site for assessment: https://bigsolar.coop/get_solar
A model for responsible solar development
Whiteborough Solar Park demonstrates how community-owned solar can be developed in a way that balances climate action, landscape considerations and biodiversity enhancement.
Built on the site of a former coal mine, the project transforms low-grade land into a source of renewable energy while enhancing biodiversity, pioneering the reuse of solar panels and creating opportunities for community investment and participation.
For the Big Solar Co-op, Whiteborough is not an alternative to rooftop solar but a complement to it: an example of how sensitively sited, appropriately scaled ground-mounted solar can help deliver the clean energy transition while bringing wider benefits to people and nature.
