We have many years of experience in insuring community renewable energy groups and it is one of our specialisms. Community-owned renewable energy projects helps to decarbonise the UK’s energy system by generating clean, low carbon electricity that feeds into the grid.
A community energy project can happen anywhere, from remote villages to the flat roofs of city neighborhoods. It can involve anything from installing a wind turbine or solar photovoltaics (PV), to running an awareness campaign about energy efficiency. Community groups, are composed of local residents, and businesses — all of whom work collaboratively to generate, manage, and distribute renewable energy within their own community. Setting up a community energy scheme is a big undertaking. Harnessing the skills and input of many different people from within a local community, brings people together and helps build the confidence of the community.
Traditionally energy markets have been dominated by large corporations such as the Big Six — leaving consumers with limited influence over their energy sources and prices. Renewable community energy groups disrupt this by giving the local community a direct role in energy production and management. This means that profits from selling excess energy back to the grid can be reinvested back into the community, further lowering costs for residents and businesses. This economic model means that community energy schemes are owned by local people rather than large corporations. All profits on the energy won’t disappear into the pockets of distant speculators — it goes straight back to the people in the same rural or city community. By generating energy locally, communities become far more resilient to storms, flooding, and other natural disasters than the national grid (community energy can provide power even when the grid is down). There is also increased resource efficiency, harnessing unused roofs to generate energy, and reducing transmission losses by local generation for local use.
Beyond the economic and environmental impacts, renewable community energy projects offer several additional benefits to local communities. These projects often create local jobs, ranging from installation and maintenance to administrative and educational roles. Employment in the sector, which reached 11 million jobs worldwide in 2018, could quadruple by 2050, while jobs in energy efficiency and system flexibility could grow by another 40 million.
Furthermore educational opportunities arise as community members engage with renewable energy technologies, fostering awareness and understanding of sustainable practices. This creates new routes for engaging people in local action on climate change, fuel poverty, energy efficiency, innovation from increased energy awareness, and carbon literacy. Collaborating on a common goal, strengthens community bonds and fosters a spirit of cooperation, social cohesion and mutual support.
To find your nearest community group see the national map of community energy organisations and projects in England. The map contains all sites of community energy activity, primarily renewable energy generation, and also some energy advice and energy efficiency services.
Or if you’re interested in setting up your own group, the Energy Saving Trust can help with advice on setting up groups, feasibility studies, financing projects and more. And we are here to advise on local community groups, to large asset managers with a portfolio of renewable energy systems – we offer competitive premiums, backed up by specialist technical knowledge and industry leading ethics.
