What is Community Energy?
Community ownership of renewable energy is an exciting, innovative way to maximise the economic and social benefits of funding and delivering sustainable projects. It encourages and attracts local participation in solving a global challenge.
Local residents and businesses are able to participate in NLCE through the purchasing of community shares. These shares fund the installation of solar panels across North Lincolnshire, and the investor members receive a fair rate of interest on their investment. We run share offer periods when we are fundraising a fixed amount, but residents can contact us about becoming a member even when we don't have a share offer live.
Benefits of Community Energy
Investing in North Lincolnshire Community Energy contributes to the greater mission of making North Lincolnshire zero carbon by 2030, but it has wider benefits for you and your community as well.
As an investor, you earn a fair rate of return on your investment (so far this has been around 5%).
The host sites have solar panels installed free of charge, and make a financial gain because they pay NLCE a favourable rate for the electricity produced. So far host sites (including schools, hospices and other community buildings) have saved more than £200,000 on their bills - money they can then spend on other vital services.
We offer renewable energy talks and displays to the schools that we work with, turning the solar panels into a free and positive educational resource.
As a community benefit society that follows co-operative principles, all our members can vote to steer the direction of NLCE, giving ordinary people the right to have a say in our transition to cleaner energy in North Lincolnshire.