Community Renewable Energy in Sheffield
Sheffield First Partnership has provided a £30k grant to help establish Sheffield Renewables, a local social enterprise, working to develop renewable energy schemes in and around Sheffield. The funding covers legal set up costs, overheads and technical development. Otherwise, the group is run entirely by local volunteers.
Richard Collins, a volunteer working in the technical team explained that ”We are working hard to develop renewable energy projects across Sheffield. Our first schemes are likely to be hydro power, located on historic sites, which have been used to power Sheffield in the past. We are also interested in other technologies such as wind, biomass and solar.” For their first project, Sheffield Renewables are working closely with the City Council and with the Sheffield Museums Trust to explore the possibility of siting a hydro power scheme at Kelham Island.
Funding the schemes represents a key challenge for the group, who have put a lot of thought into how to ensure that ownership and revenues are retained for the benefit of local people and Sheffield as a whole. Their solution is to seek funding through a combination of grants, donations and loans, and also by offering local shares.
Mark Wells, who has been with the group since it started, commented that “There are three things we need to make our projects a success: enthusiastic volunteers, lots of local support and willing investors. Support from Sheffield First Partnership is very valuable and we appreciate the confidence they have shown in our new venture.” Anybody interested in finding out more or getting involved should visit the Sheffield Renewables website for further information.