Working groups

Energy efficiency

As the energy crisis tightened its grip in early 2022, CEE decided that helping communities through it by saving and using energy more efficiently was a key response for the sector. We convened a group of expert practitioners to steer activity to help the sector be as effective as possible. The group provides thought leadership, knowledge-sharing and best practice, helping to drive funding and resources to the sector and shape our advocacy to government on this issue. The group discusses energy advice, fuel poverty alleviation strategies and retrofit.

As a result of the work of CEE and the working group, we have trained 24 new energy advisors and made several proposals to government for action on energy efficiency, particularly helping to shape the government’s Local Energy Advice Demonstrator programme.

The group has monthly meetings, 11am – 12pm on the first Wednesday of the month.

Email Josef Davies-Coates to join.

Community energy heat

Our Heat Working Group is a space for people to share knowledge, technical solutions, financial models and engagement methods for community heat projects. It can also be a place to identify potential partners and its discussions inform CEE’s lobbying in this arena.

The group has monthly meetings, 10am – 11am on the third Tuesday of the month.

Email Josef Davies-Coates to join.

Ethical sourcing

As a result of members’ desire to source solar panel using supply chains not associated with forced labour, this group was formed to define the issue and source reliable information for members and to campaign for ethical sourcing across the solar sector.

The working group has produced a statement of concern, a database of what we know about solar suppliers, a draft policy for community energy organisations to adopt and engaged in additional research and lobbying for more ethical sourcing of solar components in the UK. The group responded to two parliamentary committee consultations and supported lobbying by MPs, which resulted in the government agreeing an amendment to the Great British Energy Bill committing to ethical sourcing. The group continues to work with allies in Parliament to promote the issue.

The group now meets every 2 months.

Email Josh Barnes to join.

Expert practitioners

This group provides a space within which experienced community energy practitioners can discuss aspects of practical delivery and running larger community energy organisations. The limited membership allows discussions to include greater detail and depth than our more open events or Loomio forum, and confidentiality allows open conversation about challenges, and risks for the sector.