Younity
Younity is an award-winning joint venture, created in 2019 by Octopus Energy and Our Co-op Family with a clear purpose: to energise and grow the community energy sector through power purchase agreements, funding, and volunteer support.
PPAs:
Younity purchases power from around one third of the UK’s community-owned solar, wind, and hydro by volume, with almost 400 active Power Purchase Agreements spread across nearly 100 community energy organisations. They offer daily, bespoke pricing, and you can get your quote easily today.
What sets Younity apart are there commitment to supporting generators of all sizes through its Community Smart Export Guarantee, which is designed to help smaller generation projects access the market.
The energy purchased by Younity is then ringfenced for the Community Power Tariff, a bespoke product from Your Co-op Energy and the only tariff on the market that is 100% powered by community-generated electricity. By removing the premium on community energy, this tariff is now aligned with other fixed energy tariffs across the market.
Community Energy Connect
We’ve partnered with the digital volunteer champions at Do It to completely redevelop our Community Energy Connect platform — taking it to the next level. This bespoke tool has been built specifically with community energy groups in mind, making it easier than ever to find volunteers who can help move projects forward. And the best part?
It’s completely free, for everyone, forever. If you’re a community energy group, simply sign up through this link, post an opportunity, and search a database of over 750,000 registered volunteers who are ready to do good.
Want to make the most of the service but not feeling tech-savvy? No problem, we’ve got you covered. Just express your interest through this link for a 1-to-1 onboarding session. We’ll get you set up on the platform, give you a guided tour, and even help you post your opportunities. And if you’re reading this as someone who isn’t yet involved with a community energy group but would love to support one, you can create a free profile here. Whatever your skills or experience, there’s a group out there that needs your help.
£1.5m Kickstart Loan:
Younity’s Kickstart Loan offers £1.5m in bridging finance, specifically designed to support renewable energy projects during the construction phase.
The loan has already been used by Bristol Energy Cooperative on their award-winning Bottle Yard 2 Studios redevelopment, which delivered the largest community-owned rooftop solar installation at the time. More recently, it played a unique role as the financial guarantor for Whiteborough Solar Park, a project led by the Big Solar Co-op.
Powering Communities Fund:
Groups with an active PPA with Younity are also eligible to apply to the Powering Communities Fund, which offers grants of up to £3,750 to support social impact or affordable warmth projects.
So far, the fund has supported 24 groups, awarding more than £80,000 in grant funding. You can read their stories here.
Get in touch:
Whatever stage your group is at, Younity is here to help. With a team full of experts who bring real-world project experience, they’re ready to support you every step of the way.
Whether you’re looking for expert advice, project-specific support, or just a chat about community energy, get in touch at together@younity.coop
Check out what they’re getting up to by following them on social media.