This website provides information about a proposed solar farm near Almondsbury, at the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) airbase (BS32 4AG).
The proposal is for a small scale, community-owned project which provides clear benefits to the local community and improves biodiversity. Bristol Energy Cooperative (BEC) is leading the project, in collaboration with GWAAC as landowner.
We expect the solar farm will have a rated power output of 5.7 MW, generating around 5.5 million kWh of renewable electricity every year - enough to power over 1500 homes!
On Tuesday 16th September 2025 we held a public drop-in consultation event at the airbase. We received strong support for the project, as well as a small number of concerns which informed our planning studies. Many thanks to all who attended.
We are holding a second consultation event on 3rd March 2026 - please join us to share your views and find out more about the project. Please sign up here.
In late January, we submitted a planning application, which is now available to view on South Gloucestershire Council’s website here. We would be very grateful for any comments in support of the application. If you have any concerns, please do get in touch with us directly at projects@bristolenergy.coop.
PROPOSED SOLAR FARM AT
THE GWAAC ALMONDSBURY AIRBASE
Bristol Energy Cooperative is a community-owned energy group. This means our projects are funded and managed by local people, with the profits reinvested into the community.
Community energy is a practical, democratic response to the climate crisis. At its heart is the idea that the benefits of renewable energy projects should be felt locally. It gives people a direct stake in the transition to a low-carbon future, helping to cut emissions, reduce energy bills, and support local organisations doing vital work.
We’ve been building this future since 2011 - creating a network of low-carbon projects owned by the people of Bristol and beyond. Together, we’re proving that clean energy can be fair, local and community-led.
We’re proposing to fund the project through community fundraising and ethical loans. There will be an opportunity for local people to invest in this project in the form of community shares or bonds. Each person who invests in a share raise becomes a part owner of BEC’s projects and has an equal say in how the cooperative is run.
ABOUT BRISTOL ENERGY COOPERATIVE (BEC)
ABOUT GREAT WESTERN AIR AMBULANCE (GWAAC)
Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) is an air ambulance charity providing critical care primarily to people at risk of dying, or suffering a life-changing injury, due to an accident or medical emergency. The charity carries out around 2,300 missions each year across South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and parts of Wiltshire.
GWAAC is exploring opportunities to use the space at its Almondsbury airbase to generate renewable energy, create a sustainable income stream for the charity and contribute to carbon reduction goals. In 2024, GWAAC partnered with Bristol Energy Cooperative to cover the entire rooftop of the airbase with solar panels. The proposed solar farm will enable the charity to become even more sustainable, and through partnership with BEC will provide significant community benefits.