The Energy Learning Network
Charging up community energy
The Energy Learning Network is powering forward community energy projects across the UK – helping more groups launch or grow schemes that decarbonise the grid, and create instant benefits for local people.
The network will bring free insights, resources and connections to existing community energy groups, as well as other groups looking to become involved in local energy projects for the first time. It will create mentoring and peer learning opportunities too.
A Climate Action Fund project
It’s made possible by four years of funding, totaling £1.5 million, from the National Lottery Community Fund.
This grant comes from the Climate Action Fund, a £100 million commitment over 10 years from The National Lottery Community Fund to support communities across the UK to take action on climate change and involve more people in climate action. This forms part of one of the funder’s four key missions in its 2030 strategy, ‘It starts with community’ – supporting communities to be environmentally sustainable.
Why charge up community energy?
Community energy projects give local people the chance to own or control clean power generation, and work with their neighbours to lower bills and reduce energy demand too. Schemes in the UK already generate 617 GWh of clean energy – enough to power more than 220,000 homes – and have supported householders to make annual savings of nearly £4.5million.
By bringing together leading organisations to tackle barriers and gaps in support, the network will unlock more of the sector’s potential – and help more communities enjoy the benefits of clean energy.
The Network
The network is a collaboration between climate solutions charity Ashden, the Centre for Sustainable Energy, and leading community energy bodies in every UK nation: Community Energy England, Community Energy Scotland, Community Energy Wales, and Northern Ireland’s Action Renewables.
