E4A Co-ops
Energy4All supports 30 community co-ops; 10 solar PV sites, 12 wind sites, 6 hydro sites, 1 biomass site and Energy Prospects.
Solar sites
Dundee Renewable Energy Society
In 2024 a 2.6 MW solar array was constructed on the west side of Dundee at Bullionfield: land owned by the James Hutton Institute, Scotland’s leading agricultural research body. They raised more than £2.7 million across two phases of share offers. Dundee Renewable Energy Society
North Lincolnshire Community Energy
Solar installations on schools and community buildings around Scunthorpe will create up to 3MW of solar roof capacity. The project has received £1.4m from grants to the council from the UK Government’s “Towns Fund” and a share offer is due early next year.
Westmill Solar Co-operative
Westmill Solar Park is located near Watchfield, on the Wiltshire/Oxfordshire border, just off the A420. The site consists of 30 acres of over 20,000 polycrystalline PV panels generating 4.8GWhr/year.
Wey Valley Solar Schools Energy Co-operative
Formed in 2011, Wey Valley Solar installed panels on the roofs of six state secondary schools in Surrey. Since then a further four schools have been added to their portfolio.
West Solent Solar Co-operative
Comprising 9372 solar panels, the solar farm is installed on a 12 acre (5 hectare) field near Lymington in Hampshire. Total installed capacity is 2.4MWp – enough to supply about 650 local homes. The site is also managed as a nature reserve.
The Schools’ Energy Co-operative
The Schools’ Energy Co-operative installs community funded solar panel systems on schools free of charge. They now have installations on over 90 schools and other sites across the UK.
Repower Balcombe
In 2015 REPOWERBalcombe installed 45kWp of solar photovoltaics at a local farm and two local schools. In 2016, thanks to a £110,000 share offer, solar panels were installed a further two local schools and another followed in 2018.
M&S Energy Society
An exciting new initiative to generate renewable electricity from solar panels installed on M&S stores across the UK. Income from the electricity generated provides a return for investors and funds carbon-saving initiatives in the local community. This project is a first for any major UK retailer.
Reading Community Energy
Reading Community Energy own and operate 20 solar PV systems on roofs in and around Reading, with a combined capacity of 434 kWp energy – enough to power the equivalent of 128 homes each year.
Energise South
Following a £400,000 share offer in 2019, Energise South Society have installed solar PV panels on five buildings in the Hasting’s area. This includes St Leonards Academy which is one of the largest community owned solar roofs in the United Kingdom.
Edinburgh Community Solar Co-Operative
Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative owns and operates 24 solar panel installations throughout Edinburgh. Installations have been done on community buildings such as Edinburgh Council schools, community centres and leisure facilities.
Baywind Energy Co-operative
Baywind was launched back in 1997 and was the first UK energy cooperative to own wind turbines. At the end of their life those turbines were de-commissioned, making way for new turbines owned by coop successor High Winds. Baywind Energy Co-operative progressed to solar power, installing rooftop panels on sites in the Furness area.
Wind sites
Energy Prospects Co-operative
Energy Prospects is a slightly different member of the Energy4All family in that it was created to develop new sites through the planning consent stage and early development.
Auchrobert Community Energy Society
Developed and built by Falck Renewables Wind Limited, the site comprises twelve GE 3.2MW wind turbines with a total export capacity of 36MW. The wind farm is expected to produce enough clean energy to power approximately 26,000 homes. Members are projected to receive a 5% return over approximately a 15-year period.
Assel Valley Community Renewables
Assel Valley wind farm comprises ten wind turbines each rated 2.5MW. The total installed capacity is 25MW generating approximately 84,000 MWh annually.
Westmill Wind Farm Co-Operative
Westmill is a working organic farm. The five turbine site was commissioned in 2008. In 2012 a community-owned solar-farm was created on the same site.
Spirit of Lanarkshire Wind Energy Co-Operative
Spirit of Lanarkshire purchased a stake in two wind farms in South Lanarkshire in 2013 and 2014 after raising £2.7 million.
Resilient Energy Forest of Dean
In 2024 Energy4All agreed to work with Resilient Energy Forest of Dean (REFD) to ensure a sustainable future. REFD were created in 2015 and successfully issued a public share offer to raise funds to develop & operate a Powerwind 500kW community-owned wind turbine. In 2019, REFD acquired a second Powerwind 500kW wind turbine.
Kilbraur Wind Energy Co-Operative
In 2008 the co-operative purchased a stake in the Kilbraur wind farm via a share offer in excess of £1 million. A second share offer in 2011 saw the purchase of a further stake in the remaining 8 turbines at the wind farm. The site consists of 27 turbines.
Isle of Skye Renewables Co-Operative
The Isle of Skye Renewables Co-op purchased a stake in the Ben Aketil wind farm following an initial share offer in 2008, quickly followed by a second offer in 2010. The twelve turbines on site generate enough clean, green energy to supply around 21,000 homes.
High Winds Community Energy Society
Following a successful share offer in 2015, High Winds raised £4million towards the cost of constructing two wind turbines at Harlock Hill, near Ulverston, Cumbria. A later share offer raised £5.7 million, which saw High Winds become the sole owner of Mean Moor Wind Farm, Ulverston.
Great Glen Energy Co-Operative
Following a successful £1,288,270 share offer in 2008, the Great Glen Energy Co-op purchased a stake in the Millennium wind farm. In 2010, members of the co-op purchased a further stake in the additional turbines which had been constructed since 2008. Today there are 26 x 2.5MW turbines on the site.
Four Winds Energy Co-Operative
Through a community share offer in 2014, Four Winds raised £3.4 million to own a stake in two turbines, one near Duckmanton, and one between Grimethorpe and Cudworth. Both are located on former colliery sites.
Drumlin Wind Energy Co-operative
Drumlin owns and operates six turbines across Northern Ireland after raising £3.7 million in 2 successful share offers in 2012 and 2014. In 2024 they re-powered two of the turbines, roughly doubling their output.
Boyndie
Located on the north coast of Aberdeenshire, the wind farm has eight turbines and when it’s operating fully it generates 16.30 MW of electricity.
Hydro and biomass sites
Buchanan Community Energy Society
The 100kWp run of river hydro scheme is located on the Achlais Burn, near Milton of Buchanan on the east side of Loch Lomond, in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. The project consists of a single intake, penstock, powerhouse and tailrace and takes water from the Achlais Burn and returns it to…
LEG Power Lochaber
LEG Power Lochaber have constructed a 100% community owned 547kW hydro scheme on land owned by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) at Glenachulish in Lochaber. This was funded by a £1,880,000 public share offer raised in August 2021.
Kinlochbervie Community Energy
Kinlochbervie Community Energy Limited is a 200kW hydro scheme constructed near Rhiconich, Kinlochbervie. A public share offer was launched in early 2021 and successfully raised the target of £707,000.
Springbok Sustainable Wood Heat Co-operative
The co-operative has operated a wood chip fuelled district heating system on the Springbok Estate near Alfold, Surrey since June 2015. Prior to installation of the biomass system the heating was supplied by approximately 20 oil boilers, some of which were quite old and inefficient.
Highland Community Energy Society
Highland Community Energy Society owns a stake in six hydro projects spread across the Highlands of Scotland.
Arrochar Community Hydro Society
Officially opened in 2018, the hydro scheme is located in Arrochar, on Luss Estates’ land, in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. The build cost was £660K and funds were raised through a community share offer.
Rumbling Bridge Community Hydro Society
Located near the small village of Rumbling Bridge, Kinross Scotland, the hydro turbines began generating clean, green electricity in September 2016. Soon after, the Society were ‘Highly Commended’ in the Rushlight Awards 2017.
RainePower
Following 5 years of research, Rainepower was created as a community benefit society in 2015 by K-SET with the help of Energy4All. After raising funds via a share offer the installation of a 35kW Archimedean screw turbine in the River Lune was completed.