A kitchen table revolution to challenge the boardrooms of the Big Six

If power generation is left in the hands of the Big Six energy companies nothing is going to change: we will continue to have a centralised, fossil fuel-based energy system. The Low Carbon Hub in Oxford is spearheading a shift to a new, decentralised and collectively-owned renewable energy infrastructure.

We started as a group of local volunteers working from our kitchens to challenge the boardrooms of the Big Six. Since 2012 the Low Carbon Hub has grown into a social enterprise that develops renewable energy schemes with businesses, the public sector, and communities. We currently have a share offer open for £1.5 million to fund 1MW of solar energy projects on 18 local schools and a number of businesses. This is the biggest share offer to date and marks a step change in our work. Our dream of starting an energy revolution is now becoming a reality.

All the Hub’s renewable projects are financed by community share schemes so that they are 100% community owned. This means that communities benefit from the income the projects generate, rather than it lining the pockets of those with a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. The income comes from the sale of electricity and from the government feed-in tariff and the benefits are split three ways. As well as giving local investors a fair return, the ‘hosts’ (schools and businesses) get discounted, green energy and the Hub a sustainable income to support further community energy projects, creating a green ripple effect.

The Low Carbon Hub is at the beginning of its journey. This year we will install 1MW of projects, enough to power a small village. But we already have another 7MW of projects in the pipeline, including three hydro projects along the Thames, solar panels on more schools and businesses and we hope to have some biomass projects too. By 2018, our projects will power a small market town.

The Low Carbon Hub believes that people power is starting to transform the way that energy is produced. It is a big move away from our current centralised energy system. It is a grass roots movement, which is beginning to take hold of our energy production and create a locally-generated, locally-owned energy system with community at the heart.

Ultimately, we would like to see renewables generated locally, owned locally, and supplied locally through decentralised grids right across the UK. If developed to its full potential, community energy could scale up to 3.5GW in the UK, the equivalent of 3-4 conventional power stations. With the right support, the UK could rival countries like Germany, which in the beginning of October generated more of its electricity from renewables than any other source of energy.

But this is not going to happen if we leave the decision making to the politicians or the big energy companies. We need to demonstrate to government there is a real alternative and that the people of Britain want change. And we need to take matters into our own hands, if we want to see a future where our rooftops, woodlands and rivers are the UK’s power stations and local people benefit from the sale of this power. The Low Carbon Hub is doing this by putting local power in the hands of local people. And we hope to inspire others to do the same and to be a catalyst for real and lasting change.

To find out more or to invest in the Low Carbon Hub’s share offer go to: http://www.lowcarbonhub.org/invest