Tools & guidance
From new entrants to established organisations, we have resources to help you on your journey
Local authorities and community energy
Local authorities and community energy organisations share common goals: delivering affordable, low-carbon power, tackling fuel poverty, and keeping the economic benefits of the energy transition within communities. This page explains how councils can work with community energy organisations to achieve those goals. It shows practical ways to collaborate, and highlights success stories that can help councils build strong, long-term partnerships with community energy organisations.
Project development tool: Vote Wind
Developed with funding from the ELN, VoteWind is our new open-source community wind planning map. Bringing together multiple planning constraints and wind speed data into a single visual map, it is designed to make it easier for our members and the wider public to identify sites in their local areas that are most suitable for a community […]
The case for community energy
The case for community energy: Understanding the added value of a community energy approach and why support for community energy is vital for the success of the UK’s transition to net zero. A guide created via the Energy Learning Network (ELN) by Saskya Huggins (2025).
Electricity generation
Solar PV As a mature renewable energy technology, well suited to community renewable energy projects, this is one of the most established areas of the community energy sector. Panels capture energy from the sun using photovoltaic cells. These cells do not need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity on a […]
Low carbon heat
Heat can be generated by burning biomass (usually wood or sometimes food waste), using ground source or air source heat pumps or by using heat-generating solar panels. These technologies, particularly when coupled with energy efficiency interventions can create huge benefits and increased levels of comfort for people and places.
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Flexibility & network services
Definition of flexibility (from Project LEO) A flexibility provider is a user who provides flexibility services by making temporary changes to the way they consume, generate, or store electricity when requested, to support a more efficient use of the energy network. Distribution network operators’ (DNOs) requirements and auctions 
Definition, impact and sector potential
Impact What makes it different from other forms of energy ownership and delivery, is that community energy is about maximising social and environmental benefits, rather than just solely focusing on maximising profit. We still trade electricity and heat, and provide other commercial energy services, but they are often a means to bring in income to […]
Project development tool: Solar Wizard
Rooftop Solar Developed by ELN partners, Centre for Sustainable Energy’s Solar Wizard tool helps you produce building-specific estimates for solar energy generation for rooftops across your neighbourhood and the entire country.
Regional network: Greater Manchester
The ELN also includes funding to support the establishment of regional community energy support networks in underserved parts of the country. These will enable closer collaboration between neighbouring organisations, in-person networking, and closer coordination with their local authorities and electricity networks operators. Following an application round, the first successful area of England to be supported […]
Community energy around the world
Although England pioneered cooperatives, community energy isn’t just an English thing; it is happening all over the globe. There are a host of other organisations and networks you might wish to connect to and learn from across the UK and internationally. In the UK Outside the UK International development We also support the use of […]
