OXFORD Low Carbon Hub is half-way to the £1.5m target on its share offer.

The offer, launched at the end of September, has raised £771,400 so far.

Most of the 167 people who have bought shares, which cost a minimum of £250, are Oxfordshire residents.

The share offer will fund solar panels on 18 schools and three businesses in the county.

Low Carbon estimates it will save a total of 385 tonnes of CO2 per year and provide enough electricity to power a small village.

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By 2018, it hopes to power the equivalent of a market town.

Barbara Hammond, chief executive of Low Carbon Hub, said: ‘We are really pleased to see so many people get behind this project.

“Now that we have reached the half-way mark, we can be confident that the projects will definitely go ahead.

“We are now doing a big push to reach our target by the end of November to maximise the benefit to communities.’’

High-profile investors include Jonathon Porritt, Richard Branson and TV presenter Kevin McCloud.

Mr McCloud said: “I've invested in the Low Carbon Hub scheme because it’s the future.”

Mr Branson said: “Love this idea and it’s definitely time to shake up the way we generate and use energy.”

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