Sunny Schools Share Offer

Our share offer to raise £140,000 for community owned renewable energy for local schools opened on 15th July. The offer closed on Friday 5th October 2018.

Find out more below:

Students at Ringmer College “inspecting” their new solar panels

This share offer is being offered by OVESCO Sunny Solar Schools, a not-for-profit community benefit society.  OVESCO.  We are  celebrating  10 years of developing community owned renewable energy in Sussex and working with local schools.

Director of OVESCO Sunny Solar Schools Chris Rowland explained “We are looking to install community owned solar panels on three schools in East Sussex in this first phase.  We’ve been working for the last six months preparing the project and have kicked it off by installing the first 30kW solar array of 110 PV panels at Kings Academy Ringmer we made a video  about the project.  We plan to install 60kW of  PV panels at St John’s Seaford and St John’s Brighton with an additional 37kW of solar hot water for their swimming pool.”

Simon Charleton (CEO) of St. John’s School and College said:

“St. John’s is delighted to be working with Ovesco on this solar panel project.

Our learners in our Green Club, who have already bought about a move at St. John’s to reusable drinks cups (‘Keep Cups’) are delighted that when they return in September we will have some of the most extensive solar panel installations in the City and in East Sussex.

Much of our food is sourced sustainably and locally and this is a further part of St. John’s commitment to our local communities.”

This share offer is the third share launch in Ovesco’s 10 year history and we aim to raise over £140,000 of local community investment.

St John’s Students at work in their green kitchen

Shareholders can expect a 4% return after an initial set up period with their money back within the 25 year lifetime of the offer.

OVESCO Director Patrick Crawford:  “We are really keen to first offer shares to our local communities where the schools are located.  Many of our existing shareholders invest on behalf of their children or grandchildren.  The shares are a positive investment for many reasons as well as combating climate change and supporting a low carbon future. For every share purchased, you will help schools reduce their annual energy bills, reduce about 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per school per year; and inspire our next generation of children to be part of a sustainable future.”

The OVESCO Sunny Solar Schools team continues to work with schools interested in installing solar panels on their school and invite interested schools to contact them at schools@ovesco.co.uk.  As additional schools become viable further share offers will be launched.

Please see the full downloadable Community Share Offer Document here.