10 year anniversaries for 6 renewable energy societies!
Much of the conversation around community energy in the UK is focused on what comes next – scaling up, unlocking grid access, and reaching the ambition of 8 GW of community and locally owned power by 2030. As we reach the end of 2025, we want to pause and look back.
This year, six renewable energy societies have marked their 10-year anniversaries. Their stories remind us that community energy isn’t only about megawatts on the grid. It’s about long-term engagement, and impact over time through carbon reduction and the ripple effect of community funds and partnerships formed.
As the sector looks ahead to the next wave of projects, these organisations show what lasting success can look like: not just generating clean power, but building resilient, community-led institutions that keep evolving after the turbines and panels are installed.
Four Winds Wind Energy Co-op
Four Winds Co-op owns two 500 kW wind turbines on former colliery sites on either side of Sheffield: a powerful symbol of a new kind of energy. They raised £3.4 million in investment, and the turbines now generate an average of 2.2 GWh annually. That’s enough electricity for 800 households a year – thanks to 700 members!
Giving back to the community is central to Four Winds’ mission. In 2024/5 alone they donated £80,000 to support nearby causes. These grants have helped vital local organisations – including hospices, food banks, and schools – to cut their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint through energy efficiency upgrades. Most recently, Barnsley Hospice were able to purchase two new water heaters that are 16% more efficient: they then save the associated costs to direct towards patient care.
Rumbling Bridge Community Hydro Society
Rumbling Bridge Community Hydro in rural Kinross-shire is rated at 500 kW, but local geography sees it generate power equivalent to schemes that are nominally much larger. That’s seen projected returns delivered for members, and a higher than anticipated community fund donating around £500,000 so far to local good causes.
This co-op is actively looking to the future: considering, for example, whether changing energy policy could open opportunities for the society to trade energy locally. The project was originally viable thanks to the Feed-in Tariff scheme, so better electricity pricing is key to long term financial sustainability. Community energy in the UK has had to adapt to periods with varying levels of legislative support, so it's great to see a project with high engagement in this area 10 years on.
The Schools’ Energy Co-operative
The Schools’ Energy Co-op celebrated their 10-year anniversary around the same time as their 100th solar installation. They install solar panels on schools and other community buildings across England, working with other community energy groups as well as individual host sites. One standout example was in 2020, when they collaborated with Salisbury Community Energy to deliver an installation on the iconic Salisbury Cathedral.
What makes Schools’ Energy Co-op special is its commitment to sharing profits with member schools. In 2025 alone, £60,000 was returned to schools as dividends – that’s on top of the substantial savings they make on energy bills estimated at £500,000 in the past year.
High Winds Community Energy Society
High Winds was set up to carry out the re-powering of the original Baywind wind farm, the first community owned wind farm in the UK. The renewable energy society re-powered 2 turbines, then in 2020 hosted a second share offer and purchased 3 more. They donate a portion of generation profits each year to the Baywind Energy Community Trust, a local charity focusing on energy saving and education, but during the Covid pandemic they saw the need to widen their remit to meet further local needs – including supporting food banks and most recently a grant to open a new community hub in Ulverston.
RainePower Community Energy Society
RainePower is a community hydro project thought-up by a local Sustainable Energy Trust in south east Cumbria. After working on energy-efficiency initiatives, the group decided to branch out into renewable generation, installing a 35 kW Archimedes screw on the weir at Broad Raine.
This project has faced challenges – most notably lower than expected generation during its first five years. The project has endured thanks to a committed and resilient team, including volunteers who maintain the site almost daily. Continuous improvements are being made along the way, most recently the reinstation of a groyne, and generation has now shown a positive trend for three consecutive years.
RainePower may not break generation records, but it stands as a powerful example of how dedication and community effort can deliver lasting impact, giving it a bright future.
Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op
Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op was one of the first community energy groups to demonstrate the mutual benefits of working in partnership with the local council. Today, the co-op operates 30 solar PV installations across the city, from schools to leisure and community centres. They generate around 1.1 GWh of clean, renewable energy each year.
In its early years, ECSC’s community fund was used to support schools and other solar host sites with energy-efficiency measures and carbon reduction. Over time, this remit has expanded to back a diverse range of projects that align with the co-op’s objectives and deliver real benefits for communities across Edinburgh.
With new solar sites planned for 2026, Edinburgh Community Solar Co-op continues to grow – watch this space!
Happy new year to everyone, the team at Energy4All are looking forward to what comes in 2026. You can register for our newsletter for email updates each quarter.