Solar SOAS is UniSolar's flagship project
In September 2014, SOAS students in the SOAS Energy and Climate Justice Society (ECJS) decided that we wanted to help the transition to renewable energy in the UK. The idea of an on-campus project to engage the whole SOAS community was born, and 'Solar SOAS' started to take shape.
Solar SOAS as a concept is quite simple: Students, staff, alumni, friends and the school management will put up investments to buy solar panels for the unused roofs of the school buildings. These investors will thereby be the joint owners and controllers of this energy source and will be consulted on what is done with generated funds. After the panels are installed, monetary returns are collected from the feed-in tariff (a government subsidy to incentivise green energy) as electricity is generated. The electricity can either be used on-site or sold to the national grid. This money will then be partially given back to investors and partially invested further into clean energy projects and other community ventures as the investors so choose.
In September 2016 we successfully funded for and set up Solar SOAS. Although our project ended up as a crowdfunded venture rather than being a share offer, there is now 29.6KW of solar panels on the roof of the SOAS Old Building. This project will also generate a yearly green fund of £2000 a year for 20 years to be used by the SOAS community. We are currently planning how we can develop, improve and expand this model to other universities and public institutions.
