Electricity Generation
Solar PV (CEE status: Green - a business model to pursue)
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 cloudy day. The cells convert sunlight into electricity, which can then be used directly on site (e.g. within a community building or home) or exported onto the grid. Community solar can be developed in many different ways, from installing small arrays on domestic properties to large arrays on community buildings or ground-mounted in the form of a solar park.
Key tips for getting started:
- You do not need to develop your own sites - there are many mature partners who can help you fund and deliver projects (see below)
- Try look for medium to large sites in your community - 50kWp usually needed
- Local Authorities can help you develop multi-site projects (see CEE case study & download below)
- Solar on schools can work - high daytime demand is good - but there can be barriers. See DfE guidance and forms especially the School land transactions: guidance and an informal briefing note from the DfE for CEE
Tools to help you investigate the potential benefits of integrating solar energy into your projects:
- Solar Wizard; an innovative tool designed to assess the solar potential of buildings across the country. As a member of the Advisory Group for Solar Wizard, we at CEE are proud to support this Centre for Sustainable Enregy initiative that will empower local authorities and community groups to harness solar energy more effectively.
- Community Energy London (CEL) has developed the Solar Potential Map, a fantastic resource that highlights the solar potential of community buildings and details the retrofit needs to support 1,000 new projects by 2030.
Mature organisations that can help fund and deliver projects (without experience or funding needed):
- Solar for Schools - interested in school sites
- Energy4All (Schools Energy Coop)- interested in solar and wind business and school sites (download below)
- The Big Solar Co-op - interested in solar projects with active volunteer groups
- Baywind Energy Co-op - interested in solar, wind and hydro projects
Solar Case Studies
- Brighton Energy Coop - solar installation case studies, from the Community Solar Accelerator, which was a grant scheme run by Brighton Energy Coop and the EU Development Fund to provide match-funding to businesses going solar.
- Bristol Energy Cooperative's solar farm in Lawrence Weston
- Bristol Energy Cooperative's solar array at The Bottle Yard 2 Film Studios
Wind (CEE Status: Yellow to Green - a business model to explore)
Turbines (onshore and offshore) harness the power of the wind to use it to generate electricity. The UK has one of the best wind resources in Europe, making it an ideal place to construct a community-owned wind turbine. Wind turbines range in size from small 5-10kW models, up to multi-MW large scale installations.
The new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has announced that the de facto ban on new onshore wind projects has been lifted as of 8 July. “Onshore wind applications will be treated in the same way as other energy development proposals.”
See our Community Wind page for all the latest info and lots of useful resources.
Hydro-power (CEE Status: Yellow to Red - one to hold off on)
Uses running water from a stream or river to generate electricity. Small or micro-hydro systems in the UK range from sub 20kW systems up to large 100-200kW units. Hydro systems by their nature are often more complex and need a wide range of expertise and resources to be successful. At the moment, new costs to licensing make it very difficult to pursue a community hydro project. For all updates on hydro lobbying and policy updates, sign up to our newsletters at the bottom of this page.
