A planning application to build a solar farm on the grounds of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC)’s airbase, near Almondsbury, has received approval and will now move to the next stage of development. The 5MW solar farm is a joint project between GWAAC and BEC. It could power the equivalent of around 2,000 homes and contribute around £740,000 in community benefit funding to support both GWAAC’s critical care services and the wider community. Two public consultations have been held so far, attracting a lot of interest from local residents.
This isn’t the first time GWAAC and BEC have worked together to build a community-owned renewable energy project. In 2024, BEC installed a 240kWp solar array on the roof of the airbase, generating enough to power the equivalent of 63 homes a year.
“We’ve already worked together to cover our airbase in solar panels, which reduces GWAAC’s electricity bills by around £8k each year, and now we are a step closer to a community solar farm that will generate enough renewable energy to offset all of GWAAC’s carbon emissions,” GWAAC’s CEO Anna Perry said.
“This is such an exciting development for us, as the income from the sun’s energy will help us be there for even more people in need, on their darkest day,” she added.
GWAAC provides the critical care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire. The charity needs to raise over £4 million a year in order to remain operational yet receives no day-to-day funding from the Government or National Lottery.
The BEC team are inviting anyone with further feedback to contact them via the email address projects@bristolenergy.coop
You can read more about how community-owned energy is helping save lives via the link below.
