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Energise Barnsley deliver community owned renewable energy and heating projects.
They secured £1 million in Phase 2 Round 1 of the Energy Redress Scheme with their FiT for Solar project.
Project aims:
Working collaboratively with Barnsley Council and Berneslai Homes, they aimed to install more solar installations on tenanted homes to help alleviate fuel poverty and reduce carbon emissions.
Piloting an innovative finance model, the project planned to recycle feed in tariff revenues, coupled with the strength of community energy to raise additional funding for new installations.
Energise Barnsley aimed to install solar PV on homes with east and west facing roofs that had been overlooked in initial solar projects. This was a primary focus for the project, as the benefits of solar installations for these roofs include:
- Higher solar self-consumption level for tenants.
- A reduced solar export curve in the middle of the day, balancing the local national grid.
Project delivery:
Energise Barnsley used QR codes for their tenant opt-in form. They also engaged directly with engineers from their district network operator for connection requests and to de-loop electrical supplies. De-looping involves disconnecting each electricity meter connected to a shared loop to ensure the tenant’s electricity supply is not shared with neighbouring homes.
They established a new project team for the series of properties which required de-looping prior to solar installation. The team included legal and wayleave representatives from the council, engineers from their district network operator, sub-contractors and tenant liaison officers, to streamline the process of applying for and initiating de-looping works street by street.
They held fortnightly project calls for the delivery phase with tenant liaison officers and asset management staff supporting the process from initiation through to delivery.
As part of the installation, households were provided with the National Energy Action pamphlet on getting the most from your solar PV system, along with a guide to solar PV in the home.
The Berneslai Homes electrical team, and Andy Heald, director at Energise Barnsley, checking the quality of work of Homeco Energy.
Project impact:
As a result of the project, solar panels were installed on 287 properties in fuel poverty. Utilising solar-generated energy will save residents between £200 – 300 per year on their energy bills.
From the informative leaflets left in homes, and the conversations with electricians, residents have become more ‘energy literate’; learning more about their energy consumption, and behavioural changes that will help them save energy and money. These learnings can be shared with friends, family, and the wider community.
I turn off things which are not being used like lights and the TV. I think more about energy saving, partly due to the battery and partly due to price rises. I wait until it is a sunny day knowing that the battery will power the washing machine.
Barnsley resident
Leigh, a tenant in Hoyland, explaining to Julia Davies, a philanthropic investor, how the solar energy has already reduced her bills dramatically since November 2024.
Ashden Award:
Recognising the impact of their work, Energise Barnsley were awarded the 2024 People’s Energy Ashden Award. The Ashden Awards are all about impact, supporting climate innovators to build a fair and sustainable future.
Energise Barnsley were praised for bringing modern, integrated technologies to social housing, and supporting local jobs and training. Highlighting the power of partnership between communities, councils and housing associations.
Energy Saving Trust’s experts helped a lot in shaping and delivering our Redress Innovation grant. Our tenants benefitted from electricity bill savings, and we’d happily work together again to deliver more impact for our residents in Barnsley.
Andy Heald, director at Energise Barnsley