Community energy is the delivery of energy projects by a like-minded group of people. This can be community-led renewable energy installations, energy demand reduction or energy supply projects. They may be wholly owned and/or controlled by communities or may be done in partnership with commercial or public sector partners.
Some examples of community energy are:
Most community energy projects are about installing renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions, helping save money by reducing electricity bills, and putting that money back into the community. For example, a community centre could install solar panels to generate their own electricity, which will reduce their costs and allow them to run more activities for residents.
The Islington Community Energy Fund gives grants to local organisations to develop their own community energy projects. To date, the council has helped fund 46 projects in the borough – potentially saving more than 137 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
For more localised information, Power Up North London and Cally Energy are two local community energy groups.
For more information about community energy and funding, see: