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Community Solar Foundation Course

We are setting up a foundational course which will enable members of the public to understand how community solar works and to become effective agents of change by working to get new solar built on rooftops in their communities. The course will be focused on practical action rather than policy, and deeply rooted in experience of delivery. The Big Solar Co-op already works with volunteers from across the UK to deliver solar on a daily basis. The first cohort for the course has been selected and includes individuals from the following groups

Aims

The course aims to give participants a good foundation in community solar which will enable them to begin practical work towards establishing new solar installations. There will be an opportunity to work on real-world sites and make progress while completing the course.

The course is informed by the experience and practice of Big Solar Co-op, and will be using some of the systems developed by Big Solar Co-op. The course will give a broader foundation which will be equally useful to participants who wish to deliver community solar using other models (ie geographically-focused solar co-ops). After completing the course participants should feel confident to approach potential solar sites and to liaise with them through the process of delivery, with appropriate support.

Who it’s for

The course is aimed at those who want to make a commitment of time to getting new solar built. It’s aimed primarily at volunteers but will also be useful to people who have a paid role within community energy. The course does not pre-suppose any technical knowledge. Participants will need to be prepared to engage with learning across areas including finance, law, solar design and marketing and use an online platform to access the course materials. 

Key topic areas

The course aims to give a broad base of learning. Key topics are:

  • Introduction to community energy 
  • Introduction to solar technology and energy market
  • The business model and the society form
  • Financial analysis
  • Funding sources
  • Legal agreements & insurance
  • Solar design 101
  • Grid, planning, structural issues
  • Site finding 
  • Approaching potential solar hosts
  • Understanding and quantifying impact
  • Ongoing operations of solar projects
  • Routes to get solar built 

Delivery

This collaborative course will be delivered via:

  • e-learning modules to be completed in participants’ own time
  • live online seminars
  • support through online chat/forum by peers and trainers
  • Course work in the form of development of a real or notional solar site

We aim to build in at least one face-to-face meeting and site visit.

Duration

The course is to be delivered over a 3-month period, starting in October 2025. As the learning is partly delivered in a flexible manner, participants may pace themselves for much of the content. However it will be necessary for participants to engage for the full period in order to be able to attend live seminars and complete the course work.

Materials and tools

Participants will have access to:

  • Dedicated written and video resources within the EQUAL Learning Management System
  • Key tools for solar design, site assessment etc delivered within a browser interface
  • An online forum using the modern and responsive software

Next steps

The core setup funding – from Westmill Solar and Younity – has enabled work to begin and the first cohort is in place. The detailed structure and course content is being worked on by subject matter experts and will be soft launched at the Big Solar Gathering in October 2025.

Expression of interest form for cohort #2

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