SOLAR FOR YOUR CLUBSOLAR FOR YOUR CLUB

HOW IT WORKSA Solar PV panel installation uses the sun’s energy to create electricity to power your football club’s stadium which in turn also saves the club money on their energy bill.

By investing in a solar panel, your trust or fans group can sell excess energy to ‘the grid’ and make a long-term profit to help with your objectives.

If you don’t own your stadium, or it is council owned, but are interested in finding if a deal can be worked out with the property owner, please contact us. Clubs and councils may be interested in the prospect of free energy through partnership working with your trust. With the help of Supporters Direct Scotland, you can invest in these panels now and benefit from investing in green renewable energy.

An exciting opportunity exists for Trusts and fans groups to invest in green energy and finance their long term objectives.

HOW MUCH RETURN WILL WE MAKE ON OUR INVESTMENT?How much return you make on the initial cost of the panels and their installation will depend on several factors, most notably the size of the panels you invest in (the higher the kilowatt, the more energy produced).

Based on AC Gold Energy’s projections, Trusts could stand to earn as much as £325,000 (with a £42,000 cost) when investing in a 50kW solar panel with clubs potentially saving £156,000 in the process (over 25 years).

WHY RENEWABLE ENERGY?• generate additional

income• reduce your property’s

carbon emissions• decrease your energy

costs, which are forecast to rise by up to 60% by 2025

• enjoy the government backed guaranteed return on your investment.

Solar installment at Lewes FC

FINANCING SOLAR PANELSIf you can agree a partnership with the owners of the stadia you may want to consider how you finance your solar panels and future investment of which there are: 1. If you have sufficient enough funds, you can outright purchase the panels and claim 100% of the return on the investment.

2. If you can part-fund their installation, A C Gold Energy will match your funding and profit share.

3. Alternatively, we at Supporters Direct are happy to assist in the running of a ‘community share’ offer in which the Trust can raise capital. Find out more about Community Shares on the following page.

10kW Panel 30kW Panel 50kW Panel

Year Electricity Saved Payback Balance Electricity Saved Payback Balance Electricity Saved Payback Balance

1 £528.23 -£12,627.11 £1,839.60 -£33,754.56 £3,066.00 -£42,604.90

2 £557.12 -£10,685.23 £1,940.23 -£27,277.09 £3,233.71 -£32,853.32

3 £587.60 -£8,671.56 £2,046.36 -£20,558.16 £3,410.59 -£22,730.47

4 £619.74 -£6,583.23 £2,158.29 -£13,587.94 £3,597.15 -£12,220.86

5 £653.64 -£4,417.19 £2,276.35 -£6,356.14 £3,793.92 -£1,308.33

6 £689.39 -£2,170.29 £2,400.87 £1,147.97 £4,001.45 £10,024.05

10 £853.06 £7,694.18 £2,970.87 £34,119.61 £4,951.45 £59,918.02

15 £1,113.34 £22,287.19 £3,877.29 £82,968.30 £6,462.16 £134,112.59

20 £1,453.02 £39,926.89 £5,060.27 £142,115.10 £8,433.78 £224,327.87

25 £1,896.34 £48,474.79 £6,604.17 £171,883.90 £11,006.95 £273,942.52

WHAT ARE COMMUNITY SHARES?Community Shares are a means to raise finance by offering shares in a co-operative legal form, most commonly as Community Benefit Societies (CBS). Shares in a CBS are different to ‘normal’ shares in companies.

CBS shares don’t go up in value, are unlikely to go down, and don’t give extra voting rights to bigger investors. Community shares can, under certain circumstances be withdrawn, with the CBS buying back the shares for the original price that they were bought for, thereby offering the individual investor an exit route. They can also pay a small amount of interest to investors, at the discretion of the CBS Board.

For these reasons, the shares are usually called “withdrawal shares” to distinguish them from the ordinary shares in a company.

You can find out more about community shares by visiting our YouTube video at: http://youtu.be/ZdwcqDlFhYo

For further information please contact:

Supporters Direct ScotlandRoom 4 Beta HouseInnovation ParkUniversity of StirlingStirling FK9 4NF

T: 07769 175 480E: andrew.jenkin@supporters-direct.org

facebook.com/scottishfans

twitter.com/scottishfans

Design by Total Brand www.totalbrand.co.uk