A MASSIVE solar farm believed to be the largest of its kind in the county has started generating power.

The 20-acre Southill Solar facility in the grounds of the Cornbury Estate in Charlbury is now converting sunlight into electricity.

The entire £4.4m cost of the power plant was raised by villagers in the Sustainable Charlbury group and they believe it is the largest solar farm in the country to have been funded entirely by residents without an official commercial partner.

Tim Crisp, director of the Southill Community Energy company, said: "It has been a real hard slog, not least getting the financial cost, but we got there.

"We would be delighted if there was a bigger project funded in the same way as ours, but as far as we know we are the biggest."

Sustainable Charlbury raised £1.1m from community shares alone: about 400 people, 85 per cent from Oxfordshire, bought shares in the project and will now get their money back plus profit over its 25-year lifespan.

They raised the rest of the money in loans from commercial organisations: £250,000 from ethical Telecoms firm The Phone Co-op; £600,000 'equity underwriting' from 'social impact investors' Resonance and a £2.2m bank loan from Close Brothers.

The group started raising money in February and hit their target in the summer. Construction started in September and the farm started generating electricity on Friday.

To celebrate, the group is holding a launch event at Charlbury Memorial Hall tonight from 7.30pm with climate campaigner and solar entrepreneur Jeremy Leggett.

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Commenting on the group's achievement he said: "Now, more than ever, the world needs the spirit, leadership example, and actual emissions reductions that community energy projects like this embody.

"The US, and to an extent the UK, are stepping towards fossil fuels and away from clean energy, just as the majority of other national governments, many local governments, and thousands of communities the world over are going the other way.

"I thank everyone involved, and hope Charlbury will enjoy its candle for hope as much as I will."

Once the dust settles, the group will start planting an orchard of native apple and other fruit trees and wildflowers on the field around the solar panels.

Over the coming years, the Southill Community Energy company will also make a profit from the solar farm – about £750,000.

It will used this money to fund low-carbon initiatives with the aim of educating people and organisations about low-carbon energy.

The company has already pledged £100,000 to Charlbury community centre to fund triple glazing, low-energy lighting and a heat recovery system.