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  • Applications Now Open: Join the Board of Directors at Heart of England Community Energy

    Heart of England Community Energy (HECE) is currently seeking applications from individuals interested in joining our board of directors. Kindly note that the application deadline is February 19th, 2024. Prompt applications are advised! 1. What will you be doing? A particular challenge we have at the moment is the distribution of profits to deserving causes. We also recognise that ultimately, a new director may assume the role of chair, so experience in this area would be welcome. However, this is a multifaceted role with many aspects, as described in the next section. 2. What are we looking for? Essential Experience in managing organisations at a senior level, Analytical and evaluation skills, demonstrating good judgement. Good communication and leadership skills. Commitment to reducing carbon pollution. Desirable Knowledge of solar farms or solar energy systems. Either knowledge of grant giving to charitable and other organisations or expertise in social media. Familiarity and understanding of accounts. Knowledge of land management to promote biodiversity. Experience in business development. Promotion of the business and publicity. 3. What difference will you make? As well as being board members, new directors will be asked to join one of the subgroups of the board which make recommendations to the whole board. You will thereby have the satisfaction of steering the direction of the company. For example, helping to ensure that increased carbon reduction activities generate more income or have the satisfaction of making certain that profits are maximised and then distributed to help as many disadvantaged people as possible. This is an opportunity to bring new thinking to the board of Heart of England Community Energy. The opportunity is now listed on Reach. For further details and to submit your application, please click the button below:

  • Grant Support for Citizens Advice

    Heart of England Community Energy (HECE) is proud to provide money to Citizens Advice South Warwickshire (CASW), a local charity making a significant impact. CASW provides free, impartial and confidential advice on various issues, and HECE supports their grants program by funding their admin needs. The grants finance necessities, furniture, clothing, heating, and household appliances, all of which make a significant positive impact on the lives of individuals facing financial hardships. This collaboration is a direct and effective way for us to contribute to the well-being of our community, ensuring that CASW can continue providing essential help. During the last quarter, the support from HECE covered 64% of the hours worked by the charity's admin team, who identify and facilitate grant funding. As a result of this direct support, our community energy group has made a significant difference by granting £8,631.58 in essential items and appliances to 42 residents facing hardship. The washing machines, cookers, fridges, and furniture we've assisted in providing have undoubtedly lightened the burden during what has been a financially challenging year. For information on help that may be available please click the link to visit CASW website

  • Shining Light in 2023: Our Christmas Hamper Donation

    2023 has been a year of difficulty and hardship for many in our local communities. In the build up to Christmas, we once again proudly donated to Stratford Upon Avon Foodbank. This year, our £6000 donation supported the Foodbank in creating 421 Christmas hampers filled with treats such as Christmas puddings, cakes, beverages, festive gifts, and essential tinned goods. The hampers will benefit 569 adults and 584 children. Christmas can be a difficult time for people who are struggling financially. While some of us are fortunate enough to enjoy festive treats, others find they will have to go without. No one should go without during the festive season, and our donation was a small step towards making a big difference. Caroline Sampson, Assistant Manager and Operational Lead of Stratford upon Avon Foodbank said: "The demand on Stratford-upon-Avon Foodbank has increased in 2023 and we are now feeding on average 434 people a month, which is a 35% on figures from this time last year. We knew the nominations from local support agencies for our Christmas hampers would be popular so it was important to source funding to ensure we could produce them. The Heart of England Community Energy has very generously given £6000 and funded 48% of the project!  On behalf of the Trustees, staff and volunteers, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for your kindness. The hampers were a great success. We gave out 421 hampers which will benefit 569 adults and 584 children this Christmas time. Thank you so much Heart of England for your unwavering support." About Heart of England Community Energy: Heart of England Community Energy is a community benefit society. We own one of the UK's largest community solar farms, a 15-megawatt array just outside Stratford-upon-Avon. We channel the surplus income from our solar farm into supporting those facing challenges with the cost of living. We also fund initiatives that help our community reduce its energy consumption. As a not-for-profit enterprise, our goal is to bring the benefits of local energy to the Heart of England region. Discover how you can benefit from our local energy services and grant funding: https://www.hecommunityenergy.org/local-energy-services-and-funding

  • Autumn Newsletter 2023

    Solar Farm Performance In the previous quarter, July to September, production was slightly below projections by 0.77%. July was the worst performing month with unseasonably poor weather resulting in a 9.35% underperformance on projections. However, August and September exceeded expectations by 8.76% and 0.31% respectively. Despite varying sunlight levels, our sites operated well without any major technical issues. Community Impact In our most recent October round of community grant funding, HECE supported the Napton Environmental Action Team by funding a thermal imaging camera for surveying heat losses in local buildings. Additionally we dedicated £2,500 each to the RSPCA Coventry for their Pet Food to Food Banks project and Hampton Manga Pre-school for crucial improvements to their outdoor area. HECE also contributed £3,600 towards establishing a new Community Fridge and Café in Bidford on Avon. Applications are reviewed quarterly. If you, or an organisation you know are looking for extra funding support, click here to visit our Community Grant Funding Page. Introducing our 'Solar Soft Loan' scheme HECE are pleased to announce the launch of 'Solar Soft Loans' for community organisations and schools! Our aim is to help organisations that would not have the funds to do it themselves, to install solar panels, LED lighting and other energy saving measures. To find out about how Solar Soft Loans work, click here. You can download a copy of the Autumn 2023 newsletter below.

  • HECE launches 'Solar Soft Loan' scheme

    HECE are pleased to announce the launch of 'Solar Soft Loans' for community organisations and schools! Our aim is to help organisations that would not have the funds to do it themselves, to install solar panels, LED lighting and other energy-saving measures. Learn More: For detailed insights into how solar soft loans work, please visit our dedicated Solar Soft Loan Webpage.

  • Summer Newsletter 2023

    Performance update In the months from July 22 - June 23, the solar array generated 15,187 MWh, enough energy to power over 5,000 homes for a year. A big contributor to these high generation levels was April - June 23, with the sites generating 5.48% higher than predictions as a result of strong irradiance levels. Community Benefit Fund projections As a result of favourable power sales agreements, forecasts estimate that HECE's surplus income will exceed £1 million within the next 3 years. These surplus funds will be distributed as community grants to alleviate fuel poverty, reduce carbon emissions and empower the local community's journey to Net Zero. We will notify the Heart of England Community Energy shareholders and supporters when the funding rounds are next open. If you have an idea ready to share, please express your interest by emailing HECE. Great Big Green Week - site visit As part of Stratford-upon-Avon’s Great Big Green Week (which featured community events across 10 days) Heart of England provided a site visit for the local community. This was a great opportunity to raise awareness about community energy, and was the first time on a solar farm for many! We hope to provide more awareness raising opportunities in the local area. You can download a copy of the Summer 2023 newsletter below.

  • Supporting the Mali Walas with SolarAid

    Heart of England Community Energy (HECE) fund projects that work to reduce fuel poverty in their local area and overseas. An annual beneficiary of HECE are Solar Aid, who work to improve access to electricity in rural sub-Saharan Africa by providing solar-powered lights for communities. Read on to find out more about Solar Aid, and the impact Heart of England made for rural African communities in 2022-23. Who are SolarAid SolarAid is an international charity founded in 2006 to combat poverty and climate change. Through their social enterprise, SunnyMoney, they provide access to solar lights in Malawi and Zambia to help catalyse solar markets with renewable light. This allows money to be reinvested back into our work, encourages job creation and ensures money stays in the local economy. Distributing solar lights allows communities to ‘leapfrog’ nationwide grid electrification, which is unlikely to ever reach the rural landscapes of sub-saharan African communities. Instead, solar lights are safe, clean and affordable. They are a small, but smart innovation that provide hours of light in the evening so families can earn, learn and feel safe after dark. The solar lights often replace kerosene lamps which gives benefit multiply by reducing carbon pollution, improving air quality, making homes safer (at less risk of fire) and improving the quality of light so children can study for longer. Supporting SolarAid Heart of England support the work of Solar Aid, which provides clean and safe light to communities across Africa. SolarAid’s mission aligns with that of Heart of England Community Energy as they work to eradicate fuel poverty and hardship. In 2022 – 23, HECE supported SolarAid’s Mayi Walas (Shining Mothers) project. Their donation supported the training of 20 Mayi Walas , distributing 200 solar lights and reaching over 1,000 people. Who are Mayi Walas? The Mayi Walas are women who sell solar products to local communities. The women are trained and supported by programmes coordinated by SolarAid, before distributing the products to rural communities. The groups purchase lamps at bulk discount prices and sell them to customers for a profit. As women are the main users of light in homes, Mayi Walas understand their customers' needs. Group members often have strong social connections with their community and customers, so can support them throughout their ownership of the solar products. For more details about SolarAid, the Mayi Walas and how Heart of England Community Energy’s donation was used in the last year, please read the report below. .

  • Emergency donations respond to cost-of-living crisis

    Heart of England Community Energy have recently provided emergency donations to three local organisations in response to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Act On Energy, Citizens Advice South Warwickshire and Stratford-upon-Avon Foodbank all received donations to help support households experiencing hardship or fuel poverty in South Warwickshire. Act On Energy received £26,500 to contribute to emergency boiler repairs, fuel vouchers and small energy efficiency measures in households which are experiencing severe fuel poverty. Citizens Advice South Warwickshire were allocated £7,500. The donation enables the organisation to help those in hardship by distributing food vouchers, school uniforms and white goods as well as helping with the cost of energy bills and utilities. Stratford Upon Avon Foodbank received £3,000 to top up their provisions for families in need, which are sadly insufficient for their current demand. This donation will provide enough food to feed 63 families (with a family food parcel value around £47.60). The cost-of-living crisis continues to affect households across the county, leaving people struggling to pay for everyday items and unable to save for costly repairs.

  • Act on Energy Reporting Q1 & Q2 2023

    Heart of England Community Energy has had an update on the first 6 months of the Act on Energy Complex Case Worker project which we are funding. Act on Energy has provided 70 home visits, and 60 intensive web/phone support sessions to fuel poor customers. Facilitating the installation of over 200 fuel-saving items, including draught proofing, radiator foils, and energy-efficient light bulbs. Facilitating cumulative financial savings from energy use reductions, with an estimated total of £4,170 per annum. Act on Energy has educated 13 front-line workers on the links between warm homes and energy efficiency and its benefits for health. By the end of the project, they expect this number to be well over 100. The distribution of this knowledge is key to ensuring this area of deprivation gets the attention it deserves, which in turn will save lives. Part of their approach has been to supply toolkits, of which they have delivered 130 already. These toolkits detail key behavioural changes individuals can make to reduce their fuel bills, including only boiling the water they need, washing clothes at lower temperatures, and highlighting the potential for application to further funding, one of which being the warm home discount. From their feedback, they believe these will have prompted £24,000 in total annual savings.

  • Citizens Advice Grant Funding

    Citizens Advice South Warwickshire (CASW) is a local charity that provides free, confidential and impartial advice and information on a wide range of subjects. Heart of England Community Energy provides money to fund admin for their grants program. The grants finance necessities, furniture, clothing, heating, and household appliances, all of which make a significant positive impact on the lives of individuals facing financial hardships due to adverse circumstances. HECE's support pays for 64% of the hours worked by the charity’s admin team, who identify and facilitate grant funding. As such our community energy group has directly enable the granting of £10,523 in essential items and appliances for 46 residents in hardship. The washing machines, clothing, cookers, and fridges we have helped provide to those in need will have made what has been a financially tough winter a bit more bearable.

  • Bringing the Festive Spirit to Those in Need: Our Christmas Hamper Donation

    We made a donation of £695 to Stratford Upon Avon Foodbank. This funding enabled the purchase of 174 cans of ham, as well as some other items necessary to complete their 459 Christmas Hampers. The food bank informed us that the ham was enough to feed around 330 individuals, thus our contribution helped to improve the Christmas season of that many people.

  • Shining a Light on a Brighter Future with SolarAid

    Team SolarAid would like to say a massive thank you for all your support in 2022. We really appreciate the support from Heart of England Community Energy and their investors. With your grant of £3,000, we were able to support women to become thriving solar entrepreneurs in Malawi, in areas that have never been reached by solar power before. We couldn’t have done it without you. Best wishes and have a lovely festive period ❄️ If you are interested in learning more about the project, please follow this link to a Webinar recording with their team.

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