Community-owned Energy Supply

Community-owned Energy Supply

Organisation behind the project

Based near Kendal in Cumbria, Burneside Community Energy (BCE) is an industrial and provident society acting for the benefit of the community which aims to increase community ownership of renewable energy and low carbon projects, and to distribute energy within the community.

BCE aims to help develop a low carbon energy system for Burneside as a whole, and to be an exemplar of how a village community can achieve this.

Background and detailed description of the project

The Community-owned Energy Supply project is developing a business plan to supply locally generated renewable energy to a new development of 180 homes in Burneside, Cumbria. The project will then look to extend the provision of this power source to existing homes in Burneside and encourage the local community to be energy efficient, helping to reduce fuel poverty and reduce the carbon footprint of the village.

Having installed community-owned solar projects totalling 450kW on the roofs of the local paper mill, James Cropper plc, and five other schemes including a local school, BCE set out on a more ambitious plan to provide community-owned energy assets for a new housing development in the heart of the Burneside community.

As well as providing an investment opportunity for local shareholders, BCE’s approach aims to reduce CO₂ emissions and generate funds to support other local projects. To date £7,500 from the first solar panel scheme has been allocated to a community benefit fund.

In the Local Plan, up to 180 new homes are set to be built in the centre of the village of Burneside. BCE plans to supply electricity to the new development at or below market rates, using a combination of local generation and supply/demand balancing.

Our £15,000 funding is being used to develop the business model and has so far resulted in the group being able to successfully bid for a further £100,000 from the Next Generation Fund to develop the detailed commercial propositions.

The new housing development is being managed by Igloo Regeneration who is working in partnership with BCE to ensure that the new homes are as energy efficient as possible, and incorporate community-owned electricity generation. It is expected that the homes will be all electric, replacing traditional gas central heating in favour of electric heat pumps, and installing charging points for electric vehicles, fed by locally generated renewable electricity combined with energy storage.

BCE’s project director Gill expects the project to deliver a new business model for community energy and a new way of working for housing developments, where the developer can partner with a community energy organisation to provide energy infrastructure. Already the developer has asked Gill to provide community energy expertise for another development in Cumbria.

It is hoped that this approach will ultimately support vulnerable customers and reduce fuel poverty by offering cheaper electricity to other homes in the community, and provide energy support funding through the community benefit fund.

Project partners

To deliver the project, BCE is working with a number of partners including:

• Quantum Strategy & Technology Ltd – an experienced business consultancy, who will manage the delivery of the project, bringing in additional expertise from other partners. Quantum has extensive experience of supporting community energy organisations from initial feasibility to establishment, project management, expansion and operating/developing innovation
• Ellergreen Estate – the landowner and developer for the new housing
• Igloo Regeneration – development partner specialising in working with investors, communities, local authorities and landowners to deliver transformational regeneration and development projects.

Where to go for further information

For more information on our community and local energy strategy visit our strategy page, or to find out more about the work of Community Energy Burneside visit their website.