Forest Gate

Project Overview

The Forest Gate solar farm in North Wiltshire, UK, is a 49.9 MW project with battery storage, developed by Eden Renewables and approved in March 2023. Notably, up to 20% of the solar farm will be owned by the local community. This community ownership model arose from collaboration between Eden Renewables and Zero Chippenham, a local climate action group. Zero Chippenham, with support from Bath & West Community Energy, established Zero North Wiltshire, a Community Benefit Society, to manage community ownership.

This initiative aims to generate significant community benefits, estimated at £5 million, and contribute to local initiatives to reduce fuel poverty and carbon emissions. The project demonstrates a successful model for community involvement in renewable energy development, with the potential for replication across the UK.

About Eden Renewables

Since 2010, the Eden Renewables team has led the industry with renewable energy and storage projects with a positive impact on the local environment and the communities that host them. Based at offices in Wiltshire and London, Eden’s UK team is working on several utility-scale onshore wind, solar and storage projects; commercial and industrial projects such as solar rooftops, EV charging and solar carports; and standalone battery storage. 

The company is committed to an ethical, transparent, environmentally-sustainable supply chain and we are a signatory to the industry’s supply chain statement supporting the Solar Stewardship Initiative that was launched in December 2023.