Community Solar Foundation Course
The Community Solar Foundation Course is designed for people who want to move beyond learning about community energy and start helping to deliver real solar projects. Developed by Big Solar Co-op and grounded in practical experience, the course provides a comprehensive introduction to the skills, knowledge and processes involved in bringing community funded solar projects from idea to reality.
The course has been shaped through collaboration with a wide range of organisations and individuals involved in community energy, local development, education, climate action and the voluntary sector. Participants in the January 2026 beta cohort came from community energy groups, solar co-operatives, local authorities, development trusts, environmental charities and educational institutions from across the UK.
What you’ll learn
The course provides a broad foundation in community solar development, including:
- Community energy and cooperative models
- Solar technology and the electricity market
- Financial analysis and funding
- Legal agreements and insurance
- Solar design and site assessment
- Grid, planning and structural considerations
- Site finding and stakeholder engagement
- Impact measurement and community benefit
- Long-term operation and management of solar projects
- Routes to getting new solar projects built
Learning is delivered through a combination of self-paced online modules, live seminars, group Zoom calls and practical project work. Participants have the opportunity to apply their learning to real or notional solar projects, building confidence alongside technical knowledge. The course is delivered entirely online over a three-month period, allowing learners from across the UK to participate while balancing study with work, volunteering and other commitments.
Bursaries and course fees
To help ensure the course is accessible to a wide range of participants, a number of bursary-supported places are available. Bursaries are allocated at the discretion of Big Solar Co-op and will be awarded based on available funding and the overall balance of the cohort. As bursary funding is limited, eligibility for a bursary does not guarantee that a funded place will be offered.
Our fee structure is designed around organisational size and ability to pay:
Fee
£0
£150
£500
Eligibility
Individuals, small groups and organisations
Organisations with annual turnover under £100k
Organisations with annual turnover over £100k
Support level
Full bursary
Subsidised rate
Full price
Learners receiving bursary support will be required to sign a bursary agreement. All participants must sign a learner agreement before the course begins which outlines participation requirements, expected standards of engagement and the responsibilities of both learners and course providers.
The Community Solar Foundation Course is delivered on a not-for-profit basis. Any surplus income generated through course fees will be reinvested into future course delivery and development, including the creation of additional bursary-funded places. This approach helps build the skills and capacity needed to grow community-owned solar while ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent participation.
Supported by the community energy sector
The second rollout of the Community Solar Foundation Course has received funding from the Westmill Energy Co-op and the Energy Learning Network (ELN). In addition, the EQUAL online platform has provided learning management system services at a discounted rate for the first year of the course.
This support has enabled the development and continuation of the course as well as the creation of bursary-funded places for some learners in this September 2026 cohort. By reducing barriers to participation, this support helps ensure that people and organisations from across the community energy sector can access high quality training regardless of their financial circumstances.
Applications and course places
Applications are now open for the September 2026 cohort of the Community Solar Foundation Course. Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to eligibility and, where applicable, bursary approval. Applications will remain open until 31 August 2026, unless the course reaches capacity sooner.
As places are limited, early application is encouraged. Applicants offered a place will be invoiced for any applicable course fees, which must be paid within 30 days and in all cases before the course starts. Unpaid places may be offered to applicants on the waiting list. All participants must sign a learner agreement before the course begins. Learners receiving bursary support will also be required to sign a bursary agreement.
If the course fills before the application deadline, additional applicants will be placed on a waiting list and given priority consideration for the next cohort, currently expected to be around Easter 2027, subject to funding and availability.
Who should apply?
The course is aimed at volunteers, community organisers, local groups, co-operatives, charities, councils and anyone who wants to play a practical role in delivering new solar projects. No prior technical knowledge is required, only a willingness to learn and a commitment to helping accelerate the transition to community-owned renewable energy.
Whether you are part of a community energy group, a local authority, a charity, a co-operative, or simply someone interested in helping deliver community-owned solar projects, the course will provide the knowledge, skills and network needed to turn ambition into action.
Click the button below to submit an application today to be among the next cohort helping to build a stronger, more resilient community solar movement across the UK.
If you have any queries please email to: csf-course@sharenergy.coop