On this page we have gathered case studies based on all the shortlisted nominees for Community Energy Awards 2022. You can browse all of the case studies here, or download a PDF containing the case studies.
Social and Environmental Impact Award
1. Exeter Community Energy - Healthy Homes and Wellbeing project
2. SELCE - fuel poverty and energy efficiency delivery
3. Energise Barnsley - social impact
Exeter Community Energy - Healthy Homes and Wellbeing project
Exeter Community Energy have been shortlisted for their Healthy Homes and Wellbeing project which provides free energy and money saving advice to help combat fuel poverty. In 2021, the Healthy Homes project contributed to the £6,990 they made available via their community fund, making awards to five organisations that installed a more efficient heating system in a community hall and paid for a deposit for an electric van for a community transport group. The project has transformed many people's lives; it has assisted 4,411 homes in 2021/2022 and they estimate that 2021/2022 financial year's efforts will save clients £1.72 million.
WINNER: SELCE - fuel poverty and energy efficiency delivery
SELCE have been shortlisted for their fuel poverty and energy efficiency advice delivery. A Bristol University study in 2020 showed that their work delivered at least a 9:1 social return on investment. SELCE delivers advice online and in-person through their energy cafes, workshops, 1:1 consultations, home visits and community events. SELCE collaborated with Repowering London on kick-starting the Community Energy Winter Support initiative involving many London CE groups. They also deliver a Future Fit Homes programme for those able to pay and they are working on a whole-street retrofit project with bulk purchasing. The SELCE team also install LED lighting for community buildings and schools. Since 2015 they have installed solar on 7 schools and 4 public buildings. Each year the installations collectively generate 487,326 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity.
Energise Barnsley - social impact
Energise Barnsley have been shortlisted for their social impact through both the design and continued operation of their solar project and the use of the surplus funds generated from it. The fund's contributions have covered a wide range of projects with some tackling socio-economic problems in targeted neighbourhoods, whilst other projects have targeted societal problems, including statistically high excess winter deaths in local boroughs. 321 council owned homes have received free solar PV assets from funds generated through the solar project and 16 non-domestic properties received installations, including schools, sheltered housing blocks and community buildings. EB recently donated £10,000 to the Dodworth Miners Welfare Association in 2022 which runs a number of community hubs and sports centres and this grant replaced all the tungsten lights with LED's. The association supports youth to senior groups either playing sport or involved in community activities, and the savings to the electricity bill after the COVID lockdown has been very welcomed, in addition to the carbon savings. Barnsley is pioneering new ways of cutting bills for low income households using solar power covered their AgeUK project with the NEA, where they have installed 75 smart batteries and made over £12,000 in savings for tenants already this year.
Youth Energy Award
1. Energy Heroes
2. CREW Energy
3. Jessica Dunning
WINNER: Energy Heroes Programme
Energy Heroes have been shortlisted for their Energy Heroes programme which is based on the DFE current maths national curriculum expected learning outcomes. The basis of the programme is that the learning and activities provide the nudge for families to engage with energy matters (bills, meters and energy efficiency). The Energy Heroes programme has now been delivered to just over 200 schools since their inception in 2016; this translates to 6,600 pupils taught to become energy heroes, 6,600 homes engaged in energy saving activities and 70,000 pupils reached through the whole school assemblies and flyers.
CREW Energy - Energy Matters Schools Programme
Crew Energy have been shortlisted for their Energy Matters Schools Programme which is currently a pilot programme giving advice to parents of pupils. In their first 4 schools they have helped 115 residents. The programme includes running an ‘Energy Matters’ module, designed by CSE, within the schools, giving pupils the tools they need to drive behaviour change around energy use. Each week, students have lessons including quizzes, games and practical opportunities to help them understand more about energy use and climate change. In addition, Key Stage 2 students cover the topics of climate justice, youth activism and fuel poverty. CREW are running energy awareness training for teachers and staff and have organised Energy Cafés which will be a chance for students to showcase what they have learnt about reducing energy use and gives parents and guardians the opportunity to get free energy advice to help them save money on their bills.
Jessica Dunning - Young advocate for community energy
Jessica Dunning has been shortlisted for being a keen young advocate of sustainable energy initiatives. Jess was introduced to community energy when she undertook a dissertation titled ‘A Net-Zero Future: The Role and Potential of Community Energy Groups in England’. After meeting Nadia Smith from SELCE during her dissertation interviews, Jess was offered a placement in the Future Fit Homes project and her contributions during this placement led to a paid position at the community energy group where she supports outreach and engagement in their Private Rental Sector project. Since then Jess has been recruited to work with Community Energy London as a project officer on their ‘Building Links’ project, and has now been offered a second project. Jess has increased the scale and innovation of projects deployed and has become a key asset for the sector in terms of establishing partnerships with commercial organisations for building capacity and skills, and identifying new routes for funding.
Finance and Innovation Award
1. Ambition Community Energy C.I.C., Thrive Renewables, Bristol & Bath Regional Capital (BBRC), Bristol City Council and members of the Society of Merchant Venturers.
2. Younity
3. Lendology
WINNER: Ambition Community Energy and partners - building largest onshore wind turbine
In April 2022, Thrive Renewables provided a £4 million funding bridge to Ambition Community Energy (ACE) to build England’s largest onshore wind turbine, with the capital helping to move the project into construction after six years of planning work. These organisations have been shortlisted for their collaborative working to meet the community’s objectives. Keeping the finance model simple was really important and Thrive worked flexibly to accommodate this. Additionally, ACE wanted to maintain flexibility for future funding models. Thrive’s Community Energy Funding Bridge provided the required speed, certainty, and flexibility to meet ACE’s needs. Bristol & Bath Regional Capital (BBRC) is a provider of capital to impactful projects and organisations in the West of England and in late 2019 it launched City Funds. Further investment from the City Funds has taken the total to £900k, providing crucial leverage for Thrive. Once commissioned, the turbine will be the largest onshore turbine in England at 4.2 MW, capable of generating enough power for close to 3,000 homes and will save almost 120,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over its lifetime. The project is 100% community owned and will provide new revenue stream for the local community, with all profits from electricity sales will be reinvested back into the area, acting as a driver for regeneration. This project was made possible through the collective efforts of the Ambition Community Energy Team, volunteers, investors, and grant funders, including the West of England Combined Authority Local Energy Scheme, which is funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Bristol City Council, as well as Power to Change, Sandbox Programme and members of the Society of Merchant Venturers.
Younity - Community Energy Kickstart
Younity have been shortlisted their Community Energy Kickstart which is to plug the funding gap for community energy groups. With £1.5m of funds available, this bridging loan is for community project groups across England, Scotland and Wales who are building and managing renewable energy generation to benefit the local community. The fund will help community-owned, low carbon projects deploy at speed by breaking down financial barriers which are preventing new-build renewables being built. Community energy groups also have an age diversity issue – and it is crucial to ensuring continuity and growth to engage younger people in the community energy movement. The climate crisis will impact the next generation, so Community group applicants to this fund are encouraged to highlight measurable youth engagement strategies that their project supports/enables. It is so important to encourage age diversity and collaboration through different generations on renewable projects.
Lendology - loans supporting people with home repairs
Lendology have been shortlisted for the £1.7 million of loans they have provided to support people make essential home repairs, including fabric first measures and non fossil fuel loans. They work with community energy organisations to ensure that clients are made aware of the grant funding that is available to ensure that they don't have to borrow any more than is necessary. These Council backed loans are a fantastic support for home-owners across the Southwest and they can now show that for every £1 invested £2.58 of Social Impact is gained. The loan is just a means to an end for our customers to be able to live in safe, warm and secure homes.
Local Authority Collaboration
1. Grimsby Community Energy
2. Community Energy South Pathways Programme
3. UK Power Networks
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Grimsby Community Energy - Smarter Energy Project
Grimsby Community Energy (GCE) are working with partners to help local business decarbonise and cut their energy bills. This is part of the Smarter Energy North East Lincolnshire project, funded through North East Lincolnshire Council with the Community Renewal Fund. The two delivery partners are GCE and E-Factor, a social enterprise which supports small business, and since 2016 has hosted 90kW of solar PV owned by GCE on roofs of 3 of their buildings. The partnership is a unique public/ private sector/community sector partnership. NELC sponsor the project and oversee the delivery of the contract, and provide learning from previous projects, offering advice and support along the way. E-Factor lead the project on NELC's behalf and provide advice, workshops and grants to the businesses. Partners share an office and effectively work as one team, to deliver a service to local businesses and to meet targets to save 60 tonnes of CO2, engage with businesses and individuals.
WINNER: Community Energy South - Pathways Programme
Community Energy South’s Pathways programme works directly with Local Authorities and aligns with their Climate Change Strategies delivering a bespoke Community Energy Pathway that is adopted by the Local Authorities and supports their Net Zero approaches. The Pathways programmes establishes a network of new and existing Community Energy Groups and through their programme they provide 1-2-1 business support, mentoring and capacity building alongside county wide engagement activities. To support the programmes they also run a monthly series of mastercalsses and webinar programmess. They have successfully delivered Pathways with Essex County Council, Surrey County Council and Hampshire County Council and also with South Downs National Park Authority. In 2022 the programme is supported by the BEIS Net Zero Team and have expressions of interest from 10 County Councils and Municipal Authorities to join the Pathways programme.
UK Power Networks - Local Area Energy Planning
UK Power Networks have been shortlisted for their Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP) which is a collaboration developed by Energy Systems Catapult involving Local Authorities bringing together local stakeholders, including Community Energy Groups, and collating local knowledge of decarbonisation projects and ambitions to project a decarbonisation pathway for the local area. UK Power Networks is the first Distribution Network Operator to create a Local Area Energy Planning Framework through its Business Plan 2023-2028. Under this plan, they have gone further to address the key challenge around the lack of Local Authority resourcing and limited technical expertise. They are supporting Local Authorities to deliver decarbonisation projects for their local area efficiently and at lowest cost and estimate they could achieve £342,000 of potential savings for every Local Authority (allowing Local Authorities to spend that money on other services) due to their simplified, evidencebased framework to assist with local area energy planning, which assuming over a 5 year period that 40 local authorities go through a LAEP process (8 per year) could deliver £13.7m of benefits and an estimated social value of £1.52 over and above every £1 spent over 10 years.
Community Energy Organisation of the Year
1. Community Energy South
2. Exeter Community Energy
3. Low Carbon Hub
WINNER: Community Energy South - delivering Pathways
Community Energy South have been shortlisted for organisation of the year for their delivery of their Pathways Programme which has directly helped to build capacity and support the growth of the Community Energy Sector. Pathways programme works with Local Authorities and aligns with their Climate Change Strategies delivering a bespoke Community Energy Pathway that is adopted by the Local Authorities and supports their Net Zero approaches.
Exeter Community Energy - leading partner in Devon Community Energy Network
Exeter Community Energy has been shortlisted for the Community Energy Organisation of the Year for being one of the leading partners in the Devon Community Energy Network (DCEN), and a shareholder in the DCEN offshoot renewable energy development company Devon Energy. They work closely with DCEN partners on fuel poverty and retrofit projects and through the Healthy Homes for Wellbeing scheme we have become strong local partners with the councils across Devon.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Low Carbon Hub - leader in trials for wider sector
Low Carbon Hub have been shortlisted for this award due to their leadership in trialing and testing post FiT revenue solutions for the wider sector. Project LEO is an impressive collaboration project between community energy organisation Low Carbon Hub and other partners, to test and run trials to help the community energy sector better understand the potential for working with innovative new technologies and services, at the ‘edge’ of the energy transition such as flexibility and balancing grid services. This piloting is high risk and relatively low reward for LCH due to this services and technologies being at an early stage of development.
Fuel Poverty Action
1. Energise Sussex Coast
2. Exeter Community Energy
3. CAfS
WINNER: Energise Sussex Coast - delivering high quality energy advice
Energise Sussex Coast (ESC) have been shortlisted for their high quality energy advice, delivered by a team of experienced energy advisers. Their work is targeted at people living in fuel poverty. Their energy advice service is valued by a multitude of front line agencies and they now have 32 different agencies that refer in, including adult social care, local schools, Age UK and the probation service. The University of Bristol found that for every £1 invested into their service there is a £9 social return.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Exeter Community Energy - delivering energy and money saving advice
Exeter Community Energy (ECOE) have been shortlisted for their delivery of energy and money saving advice. As of 2022, their reach goes far beyond Exeter into four other local authorities; Mid Devon, East Devon, Teignbridge and Torbay, and they are seen as the 'go to' energy advice provider for the area. Their team of home energy advisers provide practical energy advice and support with the aim of helping as many residents as possible save money and stay warm in their homes.
CAfS - tackling the energy price crisis
CAfS have been shortlisted for their work to tackle the energy price crisis and climate emergency. Their team provide energy advice to vulnerable consumers across Cumbria. Their work includes embedding energy changing behaviours, providing energy saving measures, referrals for fuel debt advice and a training programme for energy ambassadors and champions to engage consumers and increase capacity. Their two-year project has helped 3,000 households, and this includes 500 inhome advice visits per year.
Community Engagement and Inclusion
1. Art and Energy Collective and Plymouth Energy Community
2. Crew Energy
3. Repowering London
Moths to a Flame project
Art and Energy Collective and Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) have been shortlisted for their 'Moths to a Flame' project, which, throughout 2020 and 2021, inspired over 59,000 participants from the UK and overseas to help make their award-winning artwork, exploring our relationship with energy. The Art and Energy Collective and PEC worked in partnership (with additional funding partners) to deliver the award-winning project. Their partnership work continues into 2022 and beyond with the PEC Pals project and wider collaboration.
CREW Energy - home visits and telephone service
CREW Energy have been shortlisted for their energy advice and fuel poverty projects. SW LEAP covers home visits, a free telephone service and pop up events across three boroughs; Merton, Richmond and Wandsworth. They are currently delivering 60 home visits per month; giving tailored advice and installing measures like LEDs, radiator foils and draft excluders. They are also running pop ups at food banks across the borough handing out LEDS, advice sheets and booking people in for home visits. A big part of this project is training local residents, including young people who are looking for work, to become energy advisors. CREW, in conjunction with Wandsworth Council, is also running a weekly cafe at Wandsworth Climate Hub and they are also working with Merton Council and the CSE on a schools programme called Merton Energy Matters, giving advice to parents of pupils; in their first 4 schools they have helped 115 residents.
WINNER: Repowering London - shortlisted for engagement with residents
Repowering London have been shortlisted for their engagement with residents in their community energy co-operatives; Lambeth Community Solar, North Kensington Community Energy and Aldgate Solar Power. They have recruited and trained volunteers who have worked on different projects and activities to develop and grow the co-operatives, including organising local climate events and workshops (on energy advice and solar panel making), connecting with local community groups and participating in their events, building political support for community energy, identifying sites for future solar panel installations, developing outreach and communications materials.
Scaling Up Community Energy
1. Egni Coop
2. Younity
3. Community Energy South
Egni Co-op - tackling climate change and expanding their portfolio
Egni Co-op is a community organisation which funds and manages PV installations in Wales. It was set up by Awel Aman Tawe (AAT), a community energy charity which has been operating for 20 years. Their prime drivers are tackling climate change and engaging people in energy. In the past three years, Egni has installed 4.5MWp of solar PV on 91 rooftops of schools, leisure facilities, businesses and community buildings in south and west Wales, making it the largest rooftop solar co-op in the UK. They have recently completed a further 200kW on four roofs in Newport and are about to install a further 50kW on the Crematorium. Their existing portfolio has saved their sites over £100k per year in electricity costs and over 1000 tonnes of carbon emissions.
Younity - largest buyer of community generated energy
Younity is already one of the UK’s largest buyer of community generated energy, and since its launch it has developed innovative ways of working with community energy groups. Their strategic aim for scaling up has been to increase their Power Purchase Agreements with community owned generators. They now have arranged agreements with over 200 community energy producers around the country, which has increased from 45 since they launched in October 2019.
WINNER: Pathways Programme - building capacity and supporting growth of sector
Community Energy South have been shortlisted for the delivery of their Pathways Programme which has directly helped to build capacity and support the growth of the Community Energy Sector. Pathways programme works with Local Authorities and aligns with their Climate Change Strategies delivering a bespoke Community Energy Pathway that is adopted by the Local Authorities and supports their Net Zero approaches. They have successfully delivered Pathways with Essex County Council, Surrey County Council and Hampshire County Council and also with South Downs National Park Authority. In Surrey they are supporting 6 new Community Energy organisations and have started to fundraise for the 6 new community energy organisations. South Downs National Park Authority we are supporting three community energy groups and multiple new parish level groups.
Community Energy Champion (Team)
1. Community Energy London
2. Exeter Community Energy
3. Northern Powergrid
WINNER: Community Energy London - recognised for activity in the capital
Community Energy London's (CEL) has been shortlisted in recognition of their work with community energy groups active in the capital, and with local and regional government to support specific community energy programmes. CEL has become more active over the past few years as increasing numbers of London councils have adopted climate emergency plans. Key successes achieved through CEL's work have included the development of a positive relationship with the Mayor of London which has directly led to the creation of a London Community Energy Fund (LCEF). London boroughs who have now set up a dedicated Community Energy Fund include Islington, Camden, Lewisham, Haringey, Hounslow, Hackney and Southwark. In total these funds have helped direct approximately £3m in capital grants to community energy groups in their areas.
Exeter Community Energy - advice delivery reaching far and wide
Exeter Community Energy (ECOE) have been shortlisted for their delivery of energy and money saving advice. As of 2022, their reach goes far beyond Exeter, into four other local authorities; Mid Devon, East Devon, Teignbridge and Torbay and is seen as the 'go to' energy advice provider for the area. Their team of Home Energy Advisers provide practical energy advice and support with the aim of helping as many residents as possible save money and stay warm in their homes.
Northern Powergrid - Community Energy Engagement Strategy
Northern Powergrid have been shortlisted for their Community Energy Engagement Strategy that has delivered a comprehensive programme of activity enabling and helping a number of community energy organisations across the region. They have helped organisations build capacity through training sessions to advance their community energy activities. They have reached over 6,000 engagements with community energy stakeholders, delivered over 20 dedicated community energy events, and led to a greater awareness of community energy across the region.
Community Energy Champion (Individual)
1. Kate Gilmartin
2. Rachel Moffat
WINNER: Kate Gilmartin - supporting communities
Kate Gilmartin has been shortlisted for her work to maximise the impact of the Rural Community Energy Fund in the NW Net Zero Hub region, and building a wide ranging portfolio of projects by engaging with communities and supporting them through the feasibility and development process.
Rachel Moffat - developing skill sharing and fuel poverty alleviation projects
Rachel Moffat has been shortlisted for her dedicated coordination of activities and projects of Bristol Energy Network. Rachel has tirelessly worked to develop skill sharing practices across the community energy sector, as well as developed fuel poverty alleviation projects in Bristol.
Community Energy Photo of the Year
WINNER: SELCE
