E4A Co-ops
Energy4All is a family of 27 community co-ops; 8 solar PV sites, 14 wind sites, 4 hydro sites and 1 biomass site.
Solar sites
Glasgow Community Energy
Glasgow Community Energy is the trading name of the Radical Renewable Art & Activism Community Energy Society Ltd – a Community Benefit Society (BenCom) established in 2016 to develop a new community-owned renewable energy co-operative for Glasgow. www.glasgowenergy.coop
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. www.weyvalleysolar.co.uk
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. www.westsolentsolar.coop
The Schools’ Energy Co-operative
The Co-operative now has arrays on over 72 schools and other sites across the country.
The Schools’ Energy Co-operative installs community funded solar panel systems on schools free of charge. They now have installations on over 72 schools and sites across the UK. www.schools-energy-coop.co.uk
Repower Balcome
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. www.repowerbalcombe.com
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. www.mandsenergysociety.com
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. www.readingenergy.coop
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. www.energisesouth.coop
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. www.edinburghsolar.coop
Wind sites
Four Winds Energy Co-Operative
Through a community share offer in 2014, Drumlin 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. www.fourwinds.coop
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. www.drumlin.coop
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. www.boyndie.coop
Baywind Energy Co-operative
For almost 20 years, Baywind owned six turbines. Five were decommissioned in 2016, to make way for two new high powered turbines belonging to successor High Winds Community Energy Co-operative. At the end of life of the remaining turbine the site will be taken over by High Winds.www.baywind.coop
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Hydro and biomass sites
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. www.springbokwoodheat.co.uk/
Highland Community Energy Society
Highland Community Energy Society owns a stake in six hydro projects at numerous sites in the Highlands of Scotland. The latest community share offer raised £1.35 million to claim a stane in four of these sites. www.hces.coop
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. www.arrocharhydro.coop
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. www.rumblingbridgehydro.coop
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. www.rainepower.coop