Energise Barnsley
Energise Barnsley is a pioneering, award winning community energy society initiated in 2015 by GCV on behalf of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. The project brings together environmental and social outcomes by generating renewable electricity through community owned Solar PV assets.
Energise Barnsley is now solely financed through a £1.75 million community solar bond, after having repaid a £1.2 million ethical loan from Charity Bank. The community bond pays interest to local investors. Surplus revenue is retained within a community fund for local benefit, while the local authority also benefits through the provision of renewable electricity at below-market rates.
GCV continue to manage the Energise Barnsley portfolio, and are building on the initial success through a series of innovation projects that extend the environmental, social, and economic benefits with a variety of public sector, academic and corporate stakeholders
For more information, visit the Energise Barnsley website here.
Energy for Tomorrow
Energy for Tomorrow (EFT) champions innovation, as well as providing funding and support to communities and social entrepreneurs with initiatives that can deliver affordable, accessible and sustainable energy solutions for all.
GCV has been the asset manager for EFT since 2017, providing asset management and portfolio services for 268 schools with rooftop solar PV across England, Scotland and Wales.
There is 5.3 MWp capacity of installed solar across the portfolio, producing annual solar generation of circa 4,800 MWh's, with 10,000 tonnes of carbon offset since inception.
For more information about the Energy for Tomorrow programme, please follow this link here.
BREATHE
BREATHE stands for 'Bringing Renewable Energy Automation to Homes Everywhere'. The £1 million BEIS funded domestic side response project is led by GCV and supported through ongoing partnership with Berneslai Homes, Passiv UK, BMBC, Northern Powergrid and Oxford Brookes University.
The project horizontally integrates solar PV, air source heat pumps, smart battery technology and in-home energy management systems. Homes in this project are decarbonised, decentralised, and digitalised, enabling them to respond to the local flexible grid, whilst giving tenants more control to their heating and hot water through an app.
Alongside benefits to homeowners, BREATHE exhibits significant commercial potential for housing associations across the UK who are seeking cash-positive net-zero carbon solutions that reduce the carbon footprint of their asset portfolios while simultaneously improve the social component of their ESG profiles. For more information, visit the Breathe website here.
Egni Sir Gar Cyfyngedig
GCV developed the Egni Sir Gar Cyfyngedig project on behalf of Carmarthenshire County Council. The portfolio comprises of 17 rooftop Solar PV installations to provide renewable electricity to local enterprises and schools at significant discounts to market rates (or for free).
The portfolio generates a financial return for the local authority, while cost savings accrue to a range of beneficiaries including schools and leisure centres. As with the Energise Barnsley project (see above) surplus income is distributed annually to local causes.
In 2020, the Egni Sir Gar portfolio donated £42,300 to local food banks to support their operation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project's demonstrated record in delivering financially viable social impact was recognised nationally - winning the Renewable Energy Association's Community Award for 2020.