Info, news & debate
Community energy
Do you want to co-own a community wind farm – from £50?
We are really excited to be re-opening the Share Offer for our community windfarm. We raised £734k from our first Share Offer before Christmas and now want to hit the £1,000,000 target.
Great opportunity to work with the wonderful ‘Stir to Action’
Stir to Action is a community organisation that publishes a quarterly magazine, runs workshop programmes and short courses, produces how-to resources for setting up co-operatives and community enterprises, commissions original artwork and facilitates social economy start-ups.
Nationalising assets does not mean that ‘we’ then own them. Let’s hold things ‘in common’ instead
Nationalising something doesn’t then mean that it’s owned by ‘the people’ – i.e. by us. That would only be true if states weren’t controlled by the corporate sector.
Beware the ‘sharing’ economy – back door for a more rapacious form of capitalism
Something that’s been troubling me for a while. The ‘sharing’ economy must be a good thing, right? I’ve been trying to see the good in it for a while. Sharing anything must mean that fewer resources are used, less waste produced, people get to know each other in their communities. All sounds great, doesn’t it?
How to get George Osborne to buy you shares in a wind turbine
No, this isn’t a scam – you can get tax relief on shares in community energy. But it’s not charity – you don’t have to part with your money. It’s an investment, and one that is projected to give you a 7% return – much more than a bank savings account.
Low-impact & the city 1: introduction – how possible is it to live in a sustainable, non-corporate way in a city?
I lived at Redfield Community for 13 years – it’s where Lowimpact.org was born – but now I live in London, and so I’m assessing my options for living as low-impact a life as I can.
Community vetoes for wind farms, but not for fracking? What’s that about?
On the one hand the new Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Amber Rudd, appears committed to stopping the spread of onshore wind farms; this despite the fact that they are already the most important and cost effective source of renewable energy in the UK, and enjoy the support of two thirds of the population; and …
Announcing Sharenergy’s largest ever community energy share offer
Sharenergy is happy to announce the launch of its largest ever share offer. We’ll be raising £1.35m to add to the £450,000 already subscribed for Heartland Community Wind in Scotland. Shares will attract EIS tax relief under the extension to EIS recently announced.
New share offers in community-owned renewable energy projects around the UK
Pomona Solar launched its pioneer share offer during h-Energy festivities on 11th October in Hereford. Pomona’s first scheme is for a 250kW solar PV array that will supply low-cost electricity to small businesses located on the site.
Help put energy into the hands of local people, and make yourself a bit of money at the same time
The Low Carbon Hub has just launched its 2014 community share offer to raise £1.5 million investment into its first wave of renewable energy schemes for Oxfordshire.
Ethical investments in renewable energy – you can make it happen
A quick update on Sharenergy-supported projects and share offers. Firstly some great news – the first wind turbine supported by Sharenergy is now up and running in Dingwall
Egni: sustainable investment and clean energy
Another great community renewables project. Please pass these on to anyone you think may be looking for an ethical investment that will get more renewable energy into the grid, and start to take control of our electricity supply
Community-owned energy: how to sideline the big energy companies
A quick Halloween update from Sharenergy. We’re very proud to say we are involved in 4 great share offers at the moment – spanning wind, hydro, solar and woodfuel technologies and across a swathe of the UK
Eigg: community-owned island & the 1st completely wind, water and sun electricity grid in the world
Sometimes a story will remind us that things can be done differently. The Isle of Eigg story is one of them. For more details of exactly what happened on Eigg, see Alastair Mcintosh’s book Soil and Soul (available here).
Two more community-owned renewables schemes that you can get involved with
If you would like to see more community-owned co-operative renewable energy projects in the UK, there are practical ways that you can help. Over to Jon for some schemes you can invest in
Woodheat community share offer: 10% left
Woolhope Woodheat are now up to 90% of their share total with 2 days to go. Thats £27,000 more we need with a mighty £247,650 already subscribed for by 127 prospective members.
Hydro-electricity community share offer
Hydro power is an attractive source of local renewable energy for Sheffield, which builds on the long history of water power in the city. This artist’s impression shows the fish friendly Archimedes screw turbine we will install at the site.
You can be part owner of a large solar power plant
Westmill solar park is located near to Watchfield, on the Wiltshire/Oxfordshire border, just off the A420. The site is operating successfully and consists of 30 acres of over 20,000 solar panels.
The Woolhope Woodheat Project
You might like to have a look at our project which covers a load of bases – reducing carbon emissions, protecting neglected woodland, creating employment in woodland management, providing greener heat for hard-to-heat buildings.