Energise South’s Community Energy Mission
Energise South is a Community Benefit Society bringing clean solar electricity to the rooftops of community hubs and local assets across the south coast of England. After making the most of this summer’s scorching weather with solar PV installations on 11 schools and sites across East Sussex, the co-op is now preparing a share offer to fund even more solar, including 336 PV panels on a leisure centre in Horsham.
Ahead of the share offer, we’re giving a spotlight to this co-operative and some of the projects that are keeping it busy in 2026...
Supporting community hubs
By installing solar PV on community rooftops, Energise South is helping to reduce energy bills across the south coast. As well as The Bridge Leisure Centre in Horsham, their new share offer will fund 74 panels on Battle Memorial Hall(opens in new tab), a community space that last year spent more than £800 on heating and electricity in December alone. The community has a vision to not only bring Battle Memorial Hall's energy bills down, but to turn the building into a climate resilience centre: a welcoming hub where people can stay comfortable and have a cup of tea when their own home is too hot or too cold.
Thinking big for the future
Another exciting project in development (in partnership with Energise Sussex Coast and Crowhurst Parish Council) is the Crowhurst Solar Farm: a 5 MW solar farm planned for poor-quality agricultural land. Granted planning permission in August 2025(opens in new tab), the project is envisioned as a site of rich wildlife meadows as well as solar panels, with a village-run community benefit fund to support decarbonisation and help those at risk of fuel poverty through energy-saving measures. This solar farm will come further down the line and doesn't feature in the upcoming share offer, but it’s certainly a project worth keeping an eye out for.
Tackling all aspects of our energy challenge
Energise South is a sister organisation to Energise Sussex Coast. Whilst Energise South generates renewable energy through solar PV installations on local rooftops, Energise Sussex Coast offers free energy and retrofit advice, working to end fuel poverty in East Sussex.
Generating clean power is only one side of our energy challenge - we also need to use our energy more efficiently. This can be cheaper, and more comfortable for our homes too. By working closely together, Energise South and Energise Sussex Coast combine a deep knowledge of the local area and maximise resources for the communities they support.
Look out for their next share offer
Through partnerships, determination and a goal of energy justice as well as generating clean electricity, Energise South has an exciting future – starting with this upcoming share offer. We’ll send out a mailing when the share offer goes live, so register for more news if you haven’t already.