If every community energy project in the North East and Yorkshire inspires a new community energy project then the number of community energy project in our region – and the amount of energy they generate – will double.
That’s the thinking behind a new project launched by the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub this week.
Seeing is Believing is a series of activities which brings neighbourhood associations, community centres, charities, faith groups and parish and town councils into contact with groups just like them who have developed community energy projects – which see clean energy generated where it is needed for the benefit of local people.
The Seeing is Believing programme is designed to inspire the next generation of community energy projects by showing local groups how they can improve their financial and environmental sustainability through community energy while building community unity and resilience, and even creating local economic opportunities, and what support is out there to help them.
The first Seeing is Believing event took place at Bradford’s Mayfield Centre, where local people were given a tour of the solar panels and battery installed with support from the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub which have made the community building self-sufficient in energy – and even able to raise revenue from exporting spare power to the grid!
As Saleem Hussain from Bradford Trident, the community anchor organisation which operates the building puts it:
“The more energy we generate on site, the less we have to buy in… which supports local organisations like Food Banks, toddler groups, services for the elderly and businesses.
“The dividend is financial, but the bonus is a greatly reduced carbon footprint”.
Over 30 guests also heard from local projects Canopy Housing and the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield.
Similar events will take place in other parts of the North East and Yorkshire in the coming months.
Other activities currently being delivered by the Hub to drive the growth of community energy in the North East and Yorkshire include.
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- A Seeing is Believing lunch-time “matchmaking” webinar, organised by Community Energy England. The webinar, which takes place on Thursday November 6th at 12noon will share inspiring stories from local community groups and connect them to similar organisations who are interest in learning from their experiences of setting up energy projects.
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- Community Energy Surgeries, which put local energy projects in touch with expert consultants for 1-2-1 sessions helping them address issues specific to their projects.
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- Carbon Literacy Training, aimed at helping community leaders better understand the environmental impact of everyday activities and take the first steps in developing community energy projects.
