Local energy.

Local people.

Protected landscapes.

At Eco Renewable Energy, we believe renewable energy should protect the environment — not damage it.

That’s why we are leading a community-supported, evidence-led campaign that promotes solar on rooftops, rather than large-scale solar development on protected green belt land.

 

Who We Are

Eco Renewable Energy is a small, family-owned and run local renewable energy company, based on Wirral.

ECO POD Showroom:
Eco Renewable Energy Ltd (ERE)
Thingwall Nurseries, Lower Thingwall Lane
Thingwall, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH61 1AZ

We live here.
We work here.
We raise our families here.

This landscape is not just a site on a map — it is our community.

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Matching the Solar Farm — Without Losing Our Green Belt

This campaign is not about saying “no.”

It is about saying “we can do better — and we can demonstrate it.”

An industrial-scale solar power development has been proposed on protected green belt land near Thurstaston. The justification put forward is that it is required to meet energy security and net-zero objectives.

We are demonstrating — transparently and publicly — that it is not necessary.

This campaign exists to show — openly, carefully, and with evidence — that viable alternatives exist.

How This Is Possible — And Why It Matters

How many homes are there in Wirral?

According to the most recent Census, Wirral has approximately 143,000 homes.

This context matters. It shows that delivering renewable energy at scale does not require industrialising green belt land when existing buildings across the borough are available.

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Matching the Solar Farm — Roof by Roof

Based on industry-standard layouts, a 27-hectare ground-mounted solar development would typically involve approximately 35,000–50,000 solar panels, depending on final design and panel type.

To provide a clear, conservative comparison, this campaign has set a target of:

~40,000 rooftop solar panels across Wirral

This target reflects aggregated capacity, not a single scheme, and is intended to demonstrate comparable energy generation and carbon reduction outcomes using existing buildings.

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What That Looks Like in Practice

Out of roughly 143,000 homes, only a small proportion of rooftops need to participate — alongside businesses and community buildings.

For example:

• Around 4,000 homes installing a typical 10-panel system
  or

• A mix of:

  • Homes with 10–14 panels

  • Businesses with larger roof areas

  • Community buildings, halls, warehouses, and schools

Together, these independent installations can deliver comparable generation potential, without industrialising the countryside.

This is not about everyone doing everything.
It is about many people doing something.

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Why Rooftops Make Sense

Rooftop solar:

• Uses space that is already built on

• Generates power close to where it is used

• Avoids loss of open land, habitats, and landscape

• Can be delivered incrementally and transparently

• Builds long-term resilience at local level

When rooftop capacity is demonstrated at scale, the argument that green belt land is needed for solar simply does not hold.

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What This Campaign Is — and What It Is Not

This campaign is not a community solar scheme.

It does not involve:

• Shared ownership of solar systems

• Shared generation or billing

• Shared financial returns

• Any form of energy supply or trading arrangement

Each home or building:

• Owns its own solar installation

• Uses the energy it generates directly

• Makes its own independent decision

There is no pooled energy, no shared system, and no joint ownership.

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Turning Willingness Into Evidence

Through the ERE Rooftop Solar Evidence Pledge, we gather information on:

• Willingness to explore rooftop solar

• Property type and approximate roof capacity

• The aggregate potential this represents

This information is:

• Aggregated conservatively

• Used for comparison and reporting only

• Displayed publicly in summary form

• Updated as participation grows

As participation increases, the evidence becomes clearer.

Heswall ECO POD — The Heart of the Campaign

This will have the live physical data on view! 

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Turning Pledges Into Proof

To match the output of the proposed green belt solar development, we need to demonstrate that the same capacity can be delivered on rooftops across Wirral.

“Out of 143,000 homes, only a small fraction need to take part to match the proposed solar farm — without losing a single hectare of green belt.”

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Live Data. Full Transparency.

• Campaign reporting will include:

  • Number of participating homes and buildings

  • Estimated aggregated rooftop capacity (kW / MW)

  • Equivalent panel counts

  • Indicative carbon-reduction estimates

  • Progress towards the campaign comparison target

  Data will be:

  • Updated regularly

  • Displayed publicly at the Heswall ECO POD 

  • Shared with councillors, planners, and the media

  This is evidence-led climate action — measured, visible, and accountable.

  

Live, Independent Data — Powered by Alpha

Turning community action into verifiable evidence

To ensure transparency and robustness, the campaign will utilise independently generated system data from inverter and battery technology supplied by Alpha ESS.

This ensures that reported generation data is:

• Hardware-derived

• Independently measured

• Presented without manual adjustment

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Why This Matters

Planning decisions rely on evidence.

Large-scale development on protected land is often justified on the basis of need and lack of alternatives.

This campaign demonstrates that:

• Capacity can be delivered incrementally

• Benefits accrue directly to residents and organisations

• Existing buildings can play a meaningful role

• Protected landscapes need not be sacrificed

When real alternatives are demonstrated, the planning balance changes.

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Not Against Solar — Standing Up for the Right Solar

 

We support:

✔ Renewable energy
✔ Net zero targets
✔ Energy security

But we also support:

✔ Green belt protection
✔ Wildlife and landscape preservation
✔ Community-led solutions
✔ Responsible planning

Climate action should protect the environment — not trade one harm for another.

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Regular Updates. Real Momentum.

As the numbers grow, the case becomes undeniable.

 

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This Is How We Stand Up — Properly

Not with noise.
Not with slogans.

But with working systems, real data, and local leadership.

A small, family-run local company.
A community generating clean energy.
Residents and businesses working together.

Proving that our green belt is not up for grabs — because it is not needed.

We are not blocking progress to net zero. 

We are demonstrating a better way forward.

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🌞 Solar the Right Way

Protecting Wirral’s Green Belt, One Roof at a Time

If you are willing to explore solar panels on your roof,
you can help demonstrate what is possible.

Every roof matters.
Every panel counts.
Together, they add up to something powerful.

This campaign aggregates indicative data from independent rooftop solar installations for evidence and comparison purposes only. It does not provide a community energy or shared solar scheme.