Northumberland Community Energy Ltd

The project will help install solar panels and associated battery storage into a range of community buildings across Northumberland. As part of the project, they will undertake initial feasibility and design work at each building to ascertain the optimum solar/battery installation. Then progress appropriate planning and other permissions and establish a lease with each building, including Power Purchase Agreement, to enable each installation to take place. 

There will be no cost to the community building in installation, maintenance or other running costs. Each lease runs for a period of 20 years and includes a fixed price for the energy utilised, currently standing at 15p per kwh. This income is used to cover the running costs of the installations and payback any loans.

The project aims to install solar/battery at 100 community buildings over 5 years. All the community buildings act as focal points for their local communities and the base for delivery of a wide range of services and activities to local people including, for example, Warm Hubs, health services and employability support for vulnerable and isolated residents.