Community Energy Fund

The Community Energy Fund (CEF) is a national grant scheme for urban and rural communities to develop energy services to benefit their local area. The Fund has been succeeded by the Great British Energy Fund and is closed for new applications, but the Hub continues to oversee the progress of projects to have received funding. 

The funding – which was allocated over three rounds – helps kickstart clean energy projects including small-scale wind farms and rooftop solar partnerships, as well as battery storage, rural heat networks, electric vehicle charging points. It can also be used to fund fuel poverty alleviation schemes such as energy efficiency, retrofit, and advice projects.

The CEF aims to empower local people to take control of their energy future by:

• Increasing the number of community-owned low-carbon energy assets
• Supporting communities to reduce energy cost and demand
• Generating local income through community-owned energy assets
• Reinvesting income locally and kickstarting private investment
• Supporting local jobs, growth and volunteering opportunities
• Enabling places to benefit from clean, renewable, local energy

The fund did not provide capital funding for the installation of projects themselves.

Funding was offered for a Stage 1 Feasibility Grant of up to £40k to produce a feasibility study to establish the technical and financial viability of a project, and/or a Stage 2 Development Grant of up to £100k for a more detailed investigation of the technology, for planning applications and to develop a business case.

The fund was for eligible community-based organisations on England with projects that will bring benefits to the local community. These are:

• Amateur sports clubs
• Charitable Incorporated Organisations
• Community Benefit Societies
• Community Interest Companies
• Co-operative Societies
• Development Trusts
• Faith Groups
• Pre-commencement societies
• Registered charities
• Registered Social Landlords (partnered with a community group)
• Town or Parish councils

Applicants needed to show that a good level of community engagement had been carried out, and that there was genuine community support for the project, including plans for ongoing community engagement.

Template feasibility studies for the fund can be found below.

CEF Feasibility Report Structure NEY

CEF Type B Feasibility Report Structure NEY 

Successful Projects

Round 1 

• Broomhaugh and Riding Parish Council – awarded £29,900 to investigate the feasibility of their Tynedale Hydro Electric Project.
• Northumberland Community Energy Ltd – awarded £30,982 to investigate the feasibility of solar PV and accompanying battery storage on 17 buildings in North Northumberland.
• Northumberland Community Energy Ltd – awarded £29,160 to investigate the feasibility of solar PV and accompanying battery storage on 16 buildings in West Northumberland.
• Spennymoor Town Council – awarded £35,500 to investigate the feasibility of a solar development at the former aerodrome site in Spennymoor.
• South Yorkshire EcoFit CIC – awarded £40,000 to investigate the feasibility of a delivery model to provide energy advice to residents across South Yorkshire.
• Todmorden Community Energy – awarded £10,000 to investigate the feasibility of a wind power project in the local area.
• York Community Energy – awarded £19,534 to investigate the feasibility of rooftop solar arrays on 6 buildings in York, with associated outputs supporting the local community and their York Energy Advice service.
• Norham Development Trust Ltd – awarded £100,000 to further develop their wind and solar community project in Norham and bring it to an investment ready level, following feasibility work undertaken through the previous Rural Community Energy Fund.

Round 2

• The Ouseburn Trust – awarded £39,000 to investigate the feasibility of the Trusts owned properties to identify energy efficiency improvements, and opportunities to generate and store electricity, utilise heat pumps, and for an electric charging point for bikes/cargo bikes for local community use, should they be deemed technically feasible.
• CERT CIC – awarded £39,999.20 to investigate the feasibility of solar PV on 150 properties in Hull.
• East Durham Community Development Trust Ltd – awarded £99,410 to further develop their wind and solar community project in Horden, with the aim to provide renewable energy to the end project, the Horden Heat Network, and bring it to an investment ready level.
• East Durham Community Development Trust Ltd– awarded £39,730 to investigate the feasibility of a community owned Anaerobic digestion plant being added to their site in Horden, to provide vital renewable energy to a future planned project Horden Heat Network.
• Weardale Renewables Energy CIC – awarded £39,850 to investigate the feasibility of solar PV at the Heights Quarry site.
• Sycamore Net Zero CIC – awarded £27,050 to investigate the feasibility of a community owned energy hub and heat network in Hexham.
• York Community Energy – awarded £18,608 to investigate the feasibility of rooftop solar arrays on 6 buildings in York.
• Sheriff Hutton Village Hall – awarded £11,340 to further develop the Business Plan for Decarbonising Sheriff Hutton Village Hall, to make the project investor ready. The future aim of the project is to introduce an Air Source Heat Pump as well as battery storage to support an existing solar PV installation and investigate EV charging points.
• Sheffield Renewables – awarded £40,000 to investigate the feasibility of a Solar PV and wind energy generation to contribute to the production of green hydrogen or exported to the grid on a farm in Sheffield.
• Two Churches One Town – awarded £40,000 to investigate the feasibility of replacing existing pipework and radiators, introducing more effective heat emitters, applying ground source or air source heat pumps and the installation of solar PV panels at two churches in Hull.
• SY Ecofit CIC – awarded £40,000 to investigate the feasibility of a delivery model to provide energy advice to fuel poor residents across South Yorkshire.
• Northern Community Power – awarded £21,720 to investigate the feasibility of a solar PV project on a factory roof in Newcastle.
• SY Ecofit CIC – awarded £40,000 to investigate the feasibility of an Anaerobic Digester and production of green hydrogen, with the Anaerobic Digester being it’s power source, on a farm in Sheffield.
• Yorspace YCE – awarded £39,978 to investigate the feasibility of solar PV, battery storage and EV charging points as part of a community owned off grid energy system, at Lowfield Green.
• Grange Villa Community Enterprise– awarded £76,690 to further develop a hydroelectric power (HEP) scheme and progress the project to be investor ready.

Round 3

• School for Sustainable Living CIC – Awarded £30,000 for Stage 1 project to investigate the feasibility of a fish-safe micro-hydro scheme in the Pennine stream to power a community battery bank while Solar PV and Wind turbines will provide top-up generation. They will also explore heat pumps, EV charging and smart meter controls, for local residents, to take advantage of the energy produced which is expected to give a 30% reduction in their average electricity tariff.
• Sustainable Arts in Leeds CIC (SAIL) – Awarded £34,820 for Stage 1 project to investigate the feasibility of Solar PV panels installed on top of a warehouse in Leeds to sell electricity back to the Grid or local businesses, to build capital for future sustainability projects for the creative and cultural sector members of SAIL.
• End Energy Poverty CIC – Awarded £39,999.20 for Stage 1 project to investigate the feasibility of Solar PV panels and heat pumps to be installed at 2 youth community buildings in Hull. This will give the community buildings a 40% reduction on energy costs and the income generated with the surplus energy will establish a ‘start-up’ fund to enable new organisations to pilot new renewable energy ideas, as well as ongoing business support to the third-sector organisations.
• SADACCA (Sheffield and District African Caribbean Community Association) – Awarded £36,750 for Stage 1 project to investigate the feasibility of installing Solar PV panels to generate energy and LED lighting to reduce carbon emissions, while also exploring heat networks and energy efficiency improvements of a building that incorporates a Grade II listed hall. SADACCA are working in collaboration with Carbon Co-op and the University of Sheffield. The savings created from energy costs will used to create a community fund will support initiatives such as energy efficiency programmes, education workshops and targeted assistance for fuel-poor households, as well as jobs and volunteering opportunities for the local community.
• St Andrew Housing Co-operative (The Co-op) – Awarded £39,788.40 for Stage 1 project to investigate the feasibility of Solar PV being installed across their housing to power their buildings and EV chargers. They will also include investigating the potential of a heat network, heat pumps, battery storage and the potential to sell excess power to high demand customers. This would support their wider energy advice service to vulnerable households, and the wider community through a community share issue. This project could be an exemplar demonstrating how the grid can support renewables at a local level, and how alternative revenue sources can be monetised for communities and housing co-ops by investing in renewables.
• Canopy Housing – Awarded £32,950 for Stage 1 project to investigate the feasibility of Solar PV, battery storage, heat pumps or suitable low carbon heating with the added development of smart tariffs/ smart tech, on the 82 properties under their ownership. The aim is to create a community energy asset, enabling households suffering extreme fuel poverty to heat their homes with low carbon heating through a pooled energy model and shared power from Solar PV.
• The Green Estate – Awarded £39,730 for Stage 1 project to investigate the potential opportunities for developing greener energy at their site via a Biomass or Minewater heat network, Solar PV and energy created from their green waste through biomass CHP and biomass pyrolysis. This project will explore community share offers for investment, Green Estate to offer discounted electricity to local residents, employment and volunteering opportunities, as well as reducing service delivery costs so they can offer more nature workshops, educational events, and health-focused activities.
• Castle Howard Foundation – Awarded £40,000 for Stage 1 project to investigate the feasibility of a deep geothermal heat network for the village of Coneysthorpe. The financial benefits of the scheme will be reinvested into the community to improve the energy efficiency of the historic hard to heat building stock.
• CERT CIC – Awarded £86,619.20 for Stage 2 project to further develop their Solar PV Stage 1 project from round 2, on 150 properties in Hull. This will give the housing a 40% reduction on energy costs and the income generated with the surplus energy will establish a ‘start-up’ fund to enable new organisations to pilot new renewable energy ideas, as well as ongoing business support to the third-sector organisations.
• The Rural Design Centre – Awarded £39,555 for Stage 1 project to investigate the feasibility of whether Solar PV installed on 5 separate community buildings across Teesdale, could create enough power for EV chargers at these community buildings. This will give local residents more opportunity to change to EV vehicles and also offer the facility to visitors, to make sure Teesdale are not left behind without adequate charging facilities as the number of EV vehicles increase.
• Circular Malton and Norton CIC (CMN CIC) – Awarded £40,000 for Stage 1 project to investigate the feasibility of creating a community-led renewable energy hub and private supply network including Solar PV, battery storage and an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility. Profits generated will be reinvested into the local community such as sustainability projects, start-up business support for upcycling materials, environmental education, and green energy advice schemes.
• York Community Energy – Awarded £61,403 for Stage 2 project to further develop the solar project in York, that was explored in their round 1 and 2 projects. As well as reducing energy costs for the buildings involved the revenue will support the York Energy Advice which targets vulnerable households struggling with their energy bills.
• National Coal Mining Museum for England (NCMME) – for Stage 1 project Awarded £39,793 to investigate the feasibility of Solar PV, Wind turbines, hydro-electric turbines and other sustainable power to decarbonise the site and become a national showcase of innovation, sustainable technologies and associated skills. This project aims to help the local community by providing an example of what can be achieved and creating more job and volunteering opportunities.