by Atlanta Cook | Jul 10, 2022 | Blog
Some Positive Solar News For You! Hope you are enjoying the summer. It’s always a positive time for BEC as our solar generation hits the year’s high point – read on to find out about our best ever solar generation day. Also included is our visits to our...
by Atlanta Cook | Jun 14, 2022 | Blog, old projects ed
Saving Local Schools Money Through Solar As part of our 2019 Solar For Schools project 13 local Sussex schools received free community-funded solar PV energy systems. Rudyard Kipling Primary School partnered with Brighton Energy Co-op (BEC) to put a 60kW...
by Atlanta Cook | Jun 7, 2022 | old projects ed
BEC Pioneers School-first Approach to Energy Learning Like many organisations, Hertford Junior School is feeling the impacts of increasing energy prices. That’s why the school has recently signed up to Brighton Energy Co-op’s Solar Education Programme...
by Atlanta Cook | May 7, 2022 | Blog
BEC Helps Head Teachers & School Business Managers Head Teachers & School Business Managers are Under Increasing Pressure to Save £s & CO2 Brighton Energy were honoured to be invited to be a ‘city expert’ at Our City, Our World – Leadership for...
by Atlanta Cook | Mar 31, 2022 | Blog
Welcome to our positive Solar News Our latest blog covers the fantastic generation at our sites now the sun’s finally here, our exciting Opportunities for Solar Installers, our latest ‘Walky Talky’ social event, the conclusion of our EV Charger...
by Noeleen Keane | Mar 31, 2022 | EV Sites
We’re delighted that Beechwood Hall in Cooksbridge, East Sussex is the latest site to join the BEC EV charge point network. The hall already has an impressive sustainability ethos, as its powered by a wind turbine, heated by a ground source heat pump and uses...
by Noeleen Keane | Feb 25, 2022 | Blog
We’ve been shortlisted for Regen’s Green Energy Awards. The awards are a leading national celebration of pioneering innovation and sustainable development for the UK’s energy system. We’re shortlisted in the Community Energy section, which recognises...
by Atlanta Cook | Jan 12, 2022 | Blog
Relationship Nurtured Between BHCC and Energy Sparks Gains Traction The solid relationship we have nurtured between Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) and national energy education charity Energy Sparks has far reaching benefits. It has opened up this incredibe...
by Atlanta Cook | Jan 5, 2022 | old projects ed
Coldean Primary School Goes Solar with Brighton Energy Co-op Coldean Primary School in Brighton & Hove is home to 370 four to eleven year olds, and another pioneer of Brighton and Hove City Council’s solar schools program. Our 60kWp solar system, built in July...
by Atlanta Cook | Jan 5, 2022 | old projects ed
First Brighton & Hove Authority School To Get BEC Solar High up on the Sussex Downs, Woodingdean Primary School was the first of our partnerships with Brighton and Hove City Council. Woodingdean is a 60kWp system, and as well as providing educational resources to...
by Atlanta Cook | Jan 5, 2022 | old projects ed
Balfour Infants & Junior School received a 120kW Solar System in May 2020 The 10th local Brighton & Hove school to partner with us to put a free Solar PV energy system on their roof was Balfour Infants & junior School. This local 5 Ways school now has a...
by Noeleen Keane | Dec 24, 2021 | EV Sites
The Brighton Energy Co-op EV Charger network continues to grow with the latest at Rathfinny Wine Estate. Nestled in the beautiful East Sussex countryside, Rathfinny produces high quality sparkling wines. Installation of the charge point means visitors to the vineyard,...
by Noeleen Keane | Dec 24, 2021 | EV Sites
BEC is continuing the roll out of its electric car charge points, the latest at Amberley Museum, West Sussex. Amberley may be a museum of the technical wonders of the past but it’s green credentials are firmly in the future. The museum buildings already host 45kWp of...
by Atlanta Cook | Dec 1, 2021 | Blog
Welcome to our Winter Newsletter In our latest update we cover our grant for small businesses going solar, our ever growing charge point network, a first from our solar education programme, the latest moves in government on supporting community energy, and the...
by Noeleen Keane | Nov 28, 2021 | EV Sites
The latest site to join the BEC EV charge point network is Park Gate flats in Hove. The flats already have 100kWp of BEC community owned solar PV on the roof and now the solar can be used to charge residents’ electric cars. Research tells us that access to...
by Atlanta Cook | Oct 27, 2021 | old projects ed
BEC’s Free Solar For Schools Programme Keeps Growing Across Brighton & Hove Tucked in a high corner of Hove, Blatchington Mill School’s south-facing roofs are a great home for BEC’s 200kWp solar system. Our locally-owned green energy system builds on...
by Atlanta Cook | Oct 27, 2021 | old projects ed
Hove Park School is a mixed secondary school and sixth form centre spread over two sites in Hove. With several great south-facing roofs, we installed two solar systems here in early 2020, which now green the schools energy supply and provide an excellent educational...
by Atlanta Cook | Oct 26, 2021 | Blog
WE HAVE SOME GREAT ‘ZERO CARBON’ NEWS TO SHARE ON THE EVE OF COP26 STARTING Brighton Energy Co-op is pleased to announce that we have secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to offer grants of up to £25,000 off the cost of solar...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Oct 7, 2021 | Blog
A recent fire at the UK-France IFA Interconnector knocked out 1000MW of electricity coming into the UK With media attention focused on soaring domestic energy bills, for business consumers prices are even higher – with more to come. The full impact of recent...
by Noeleen Keane | Sep 24, 2021 | EV Sites
BEC is continuing its roll out of EV charge points, with the most recent at Maritime House Business Centre at Shoreham Port. Charging your electric car whilst you’re busy doing something else really is the most convenient way to charge. The building offers managed...
by Noeleen Keane | Sep 24, 2021 | EV Sites
Brighton Energy Co-op has installed another EV charge point, this time at Carden Primary School. Any charging during daylight hours comes straight from the BEC owned solar PV on site. This helps the school ensure maximum usage of their on-site solar, generating...
by Atlanta Cook | Sep 23, 2021 | Blog
High Electricity Prices are Good News for Renewables With electricity prices hitting headlines, you could be forgiven a sense of crisis. But apart from the obscene spectacle of government subsidising CO2 production in the year of the COP26 conference in Glasgow,...
by Atlanta Cook | Aug 11, 2021 | Blog
Brighton Energy’s Souped Up Summer No lazy Summer days here at BEC – we’ll be making solar while the sun shines! You may recall that a while back we secured quite a few exemptions to the end of the Feed in Tariff Scheme: well, at the end of March we...
by Atlanta Cook | Jun 16, 2021 | Blog, old projects
BEC Solar at Amberley Museum – the equivalent of planting 1500 trees a year! Brighton Energy partners with Amberley Museum in West Sussex to provide museum with bountiful amounts of clean energy. The 200 solar panels (45kW) at Amberley save the equivalent of...
by Atlanta Cook | May 28, 2021 | Blog
BEC | Three Year Strategy April 2021 1. Vision – to see a high level of renewable energy locally owned, generated and used in the Greater Brighton area and wider region. Our Mission – to promote, develop and deliver large community owned renewable energy...
by Atlanta Cook | May 20, 2021 | Blog, new project
Aircraft Maintenance & Motor Engineering Campus gets 60kW – 31 March 2021 Did you know Brighton City Airport hosts Greater Brighton MET College’s aviation maintenance and motorsport engineering education centre? Well, we’ve just installed a free 60kW...
by Atlanta Cook | May 5, 2021 | old projects ed
Westdene Primary School Goes Solar! Westdene Primary & Nursery School is 11th Brighton & Hove school to receive a free solar electricity system from Brighton Energy Co-op Brighton Energy Co-op (BEC) switched on Westdene Primary School & Nursery’s free...
by Atlanta Cook | May 5, 2021 | old projects ed
kWp 450W Solar Panels Saved on the college's electricity bill each year (£) Pelham Street GBMC’s Central Brighton campus to save £7000 a year! Greater Brighton Met College’s Central Brighton Campus is set to get a free solar system – which will reduce...
by Atlanta Cook | Apr 22, 2021 | Blog
EARTH DAY celebrates its 51st birthday today. Established in 1970 as a mass ‘teach-in’ for environmental protection, last year 100 million people participated in Earth Day activities – the largest online mass mobilization in history. Yet 2021 sees...
by Noeleen Keane | Apr 19, 2021 | EV Sites
The BEC electric car charge point network continues to grow. We’ve installed 3 twin charge points at the University of Brighton, 2 at the Falmer campus and a further one at Varley Halls of Residence. BEC has solar PV on the roofs of several of the University...
by Noeleen Keane | Apr 19, 2021 | EV Sites
Now you can top up your car whilst you top up your wine rack, as our first solar-linked electric car charge point is now live at Bolney Wine Estate, just off the A23/A272 in West Sussex. Over half of the electricity used annually by the vineyard already comes from the...
by Noeleen Keane | Apr 16, 2021 | old projects res
As part of the on-going partnership with Brighton University, BEC installed Solar PV at Chalvington Close, on the Varley Park student residences on the outskirts of Brighton. Funded by community energy investors, in 2020 these generated over 12MWh of solar power. So...
by Atlanta Cook | Apr 6, 2021 | Blog
Brighton Energy are on fire this month completing solar on three educational buildings and installing the first solar-connected electric vehicle (EV) charger in the South East. With so much fantastic solar news coming through the BEC pipeline we hope you’re enjoying...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Mar 26, 2021 | Blog
Update 4pm 26/3/21 – We’ve had an amazing response to our fundraising – after only three days our share offer is now full. We’re preparing a whole bunch of new community-owned solar projects for 2021 – if you’re interested in joining BEC for our next round of projects...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Mar 25, 2021 | Blog
Brighton Energy Coop Launches New Share Offer – Support New Solar in Our Community! We’re very pleased to announce that we’ve just kicked off our latest set of solar builds in Brighton. And of course we don’t do this sort of thing without...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Mar 16, 2021 | old projects
Nestled in the Sussex countryside, Bolney Wine Estate is an award winning English wine producer. Guided by nature, sustainability is a key part of their ethos. Brighton Energy Coop installed a 59kWp PV array on the roofs of the new winery & the main building in...
by Atlanta Cook | Feb 17, 2021 | Blog
Brighton & Hove-Schools pull together to reach Net Zero by 2050 Happy half-term to all Brighton & Hove school teachers and home-schoolers out there. We hope you are getting a well-deserved screen break and some rejuvenating outdoor Nature. You’ll need...
by Atlanta Cook | Jan 28, 2021 | Blog
Best Wishes To All Our Members For A Solar Filled 2021! Now we’re 10 years old and have been creating Community Owned solar energy projects for over a decade, we’re turning our hands to sharing our lovely green electricity with more of you! We’re...
by Atlanta Cook | Nov 17, 2020 | Blog
Against all the odds 2020 has been a great year for BEC! It’s our 10th birthday – yes, it’s been a decade since we sparked off Brighton’s first Community Owned renewable energy project back in 2010 – and to celebrate we completed 6 new solar energy projects, adding a...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Nov 19, 2019 | Blog
Extinction Rebellion in London October 2019 | An image Gallery In October 2019 thousands of people took to the streets to protest the climate emergency. More fantastic images here. The struggle continues… Photo credits: Joe Taylor Daniel Burke Christaina...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Nov 12, 2019 | Blog
Extinction Rebellion in London October 2019 | An image Gallery In October 2019 thousands of people took to the streets to protest the climate emergency. You may say they were making history – but you can only make history if you have a future to have it in. The...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Nov 7, 2019 | Blog
Hi folks, Welcome to our new members newsletter. Read on for what BEC has been up to over the past few months, including new solar builds, our exciting new electric car charge point programme, BEC members at Extinction Rebellion in London – not to forget our...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Oct 18, 2019 | Blog
Support for Extinction Rebellion is found in surprising places After the internet shouting, Westminster was tranquil. A bunting of high-vis policemen lolled about Whitehall. “We’re holding it as a contingency”, said one. For what? “For the...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Sep 10, 2019 | Blog
Last month, the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) suspended beleagured fracker Cuadrilla after the Lancashire earthshaker caused a 2.9ML earthquake. The OGA – the industry regular – says it’s considering the ‘appropriateness’ of...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Aug 5, 2019 | Blog
It’s likely a general election is just around the corner. Boris Johnson’s government hangs by one seat; if we get a no-deal Brexit then Johnson will surely go to the public riding on his success. “Either way,” says the Economist, “a vote...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Aug 1, 2019 | Blog
As the millions of people planting trees in Ethiopia this week showed (see above), with enough will power, there’s plenty that people can do about climate change. Here in Brighton we’re doing our bit. With the support of people like you, since...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jul 9, 2019 | Blog
Poisoning Poseidon with Plastics – We are the Sea’s Disease Written by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop July 9, 2019 Brighton and the ‘Seaside’ go together like ‘fish and chips’. Brighton & Hove people know...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jul 5, 2019 | Blog
People Want Environmental Solutions – and Brighton & Hove Has Them | Part 2 0 Comments Written by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop July 5, 2019 Brighton Energy Coop’s salute to our Brighton & Hove home as a green, caring, conscious...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jul 3, 2019 | Blog
The UK government is intent on removing planning permission requirements surrounding fracking. Yet with Energy Minister Claire Perry demanding a “line of sight to commerciality”, evidence from the US shows fracking almost never makes any money. The...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jul 1, 2019 | Blog
People Want Environmental Solutions – and Brighton & Hove Has Them | Part 1 0 Comments Written by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop July 1, 2019 Brighton Energy Coop’s salute to our Brighton & Hove home as a green, caring, conscious...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jun 27, 2019 | Blog
With the sun recovering its boldness today, solar rays have provided 76% of the energy at one of our biggest community-owned solar builds – Ore Valley College near Hastings. BEC’s 1000-odd BYD solar panels at Ore Valley have been flexing their muscle all...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jun 24, 2019 | Blog
From Divest East Sussex – add your signature here Dear friends, With polls showing a sharp increase in public concern over the environment, Mark Rylance resigning from the Royal Shakespeare Company over its continued sponsorship by oil giant BP, and Theresa May...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jun 24, 2019 | Blog
Interesting from Environmental Finance: The combined total of all green and sustainability-linked loans issued to date has reached about $111.5 billion, according to figures compiled by Environmental Finance. The analysis reveals a market that exploded into action...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jun 19, 2019 | Blog
On 4th May the British Geological Survey (BGS) received more than 100 reports of an earthquake near Gatwick Airport. Measuring 2.5 on the Richter Scale, the tremor is the latest of 34 earthquakes in the area in the last 12 months. Oil company Horse Hill Developments...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jun 12, 2019 | Blog
Dear All, The call to action is in response to GTRailways (Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express) who have are now consulting on their £15m Community Benefit Fund which they have had to set-up to compensate for all the delays and disputes etc over the four years! The...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jun 12, 2019 | Blog
We recently received this in our inbox and thought it worth passing on… Dear Supporter Our campaign for the Local Electricity Bill continues to gain support in Parliament and across the country. If made law the Bill will give a huge boost to community-scale...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jun 12, 2019 | Blog
Great news! BEC recently polished off phase 1 of our solar schools programme: solar panels on five new educational buildings – including: – Woodingdean and Coldean Primary Schools (60kWp each) – Ore Valley College (250kWp) – and 240 panels the...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | May 22, 2019 | Blog
Humans consume 221 tonnes of coal, 1,066 barrels of oil, and 93,000 metric cubes of natural gas every second. The greenhouse gases released through burning these fossil fuels have a disastrous effect on our planet. Scientists warn that we face catastrophic and...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Apr 15, 2019 | Blog
Last week Brighton Energy Coop hit a major target – we’ve raised just over £400,000 for our new solar builds. A big welcome to all our new members – nearly 100 people – and also thanks to those members who have increased your existing investments. We...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Apr 8, 2019 | Blog
Recently completed BEC Community Solar at Ore Valley College near Hastings,...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Apr 3, 2019 | Blog, new project
There’s been a lot of talk about the end of the solar subsidy known as Feed in Tariffs (FITs). For eight years FITs were the basis on which nearly 1 million UK buildings installed solar panels. In March 2019 FITs were summarily scrapped. This, many posited,...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 9, 2019 | old projects
RT Page uses BEC Solar to Run Cleaner and Cheaper System: kWp Expected generation KWH/pa CO2 Saved KG/pa RTPage RT Page is a distribution firm in Barnham, offering transport services across the UK & abroad. Our new PV system covers two of RT Page’s main...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 9, 2019 | old projects
Infinity Foods uses BEC Solar to Run Cleaner and Cheaper kWp Saved on Infinity's electricity bill this year (£) Bisol BMU 260W Solar Panels Infinity Foods is the largest distrubutor of whole foods in Europe, with an annual turnover of more than £25m. Their...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 9, 2019 | old projects
Community Energy powers Maidstone FC's ground, helping the Stones go green kWp Shinetime Xtp6-60 Solar Panels Saved on the clubs's electricity bill each year (£) Maidstone United work with Brighton Energy Coop to house solar panels on the roof of buildings at the...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 9, 2019 | old projects
Solar PV at The Big Lemon Bus DepotSolar energy powering the UK’s first solar electric buses. A Major Centre for Renewable EnergyBEC’s solar PV support the Port in becoming a major centre for renewable energy Community-owned Solar PVOur solar systems save the...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 9, 2019 | old projects ed
BEC Helps Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) Go Green Saving our schools thousands on electricity bills each yearBEC’s solar PV provides PACA with cheap, green renewabe electricity year round Clean Energy - at no cost to PACACommunity ownership means PACA has...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 8, 2019 | old projects res
Solar PV at Park Gate in HoveCommunity-owned renewable energy on a block of 120 flats in the heart of Brighton and Hove kWp Shinetime XTP6-60 solar panels SMA SB 25000TL inverters In 2014 Brighton Energy Coop partnered with Park Gate, a residential block in east Hove,...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 8, 2019 | old projects ed
Over the last 3 years, Brighton Energy Co-op (BEC) have installed 270 kw of solar PV across three locations at the University of Brighton which is now generating approx. 256500 kwh of green electricity every year for the University. The University is ranked as one of...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 8, 2019 | old projects
Refine Metals use BEC solar to save £000s on their energy bills Community-owned by Brighton Energy Coop 140 local people invested in the solar PV system at Refine Clean Energy powering green recycling Refine Metals are a UK leader in recycling catalytic convertes...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 8, 2019 | old projects
Community Energy at Shoreham Port Community Solar PV at Shoreham Port in West Sussex A Major Centre for Renewable Energy BEC’s solar PV support the Port in becoming a major centre for renewable energy Community-owned Solar PV Our solar systems save the Port thousands...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 6, 2019 | Blog
From The Guardian Launching a new fossil fuel industry was a bad idea, and a coalition of localists and environmentalists appears close to defeating it Less than four months after what was supposed to be a new beginning for fracking in England, when Cuadrilla resumed...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 22, 2019 | Blog
This is community energy in action! #SolarForSchools Well it’s been quite a ride over Christmas and New Year! Since we launched our latest series of community-owned solar PV projects we’ve raised £258,000 – and built one: 60kWp of new community-owned solar...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 14, 2019 | new project
4 Projects and counting for BEC and University of Brighton Grand Parade is the fourth of our ongoing partnership with the University of Brighton. Grand Parade will be a 60kWp solar system, and join community-owned systems on the University’s Varley Halls of Residence,...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 14, 2019 | new project
This is the first community energy investment offer in Hastings. Sussex Coast College is a new college where students have access to the latest equipment and digital technology, a sports pitch, diner and coffee shop. In partnership with Energise Sussex Coast, BEC’s...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 13, 2019 | new project
Bees need Solar power! Our seven-year partnership with Shoreham Port will soon see two additional installations: the Lady Bee Business Centre, and Maritme House with 90 and 30 kWp solar systems respectively. We’ve worked with Shoreham Port for many years now, and...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 13, 2019 | new project
Another Brighton & Hove school to get FREE SolarPV – funded by community energy in action! Coldean Primary School is home to 370 four to eleven year olds, and another pioneer of Brighton and Hove City Council’s solar schools program. Our new 60kWp solar...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 13, 2019 | new project
Another FREE Solar For Schools project gets rolling Tucked in a high corner of Brighton’s Hollingbury, Carden Primary School’s south-facing roofs are a great home for BEC’s proposed 240kWp solar system. Our locally-owned green energy system will build on the school’s...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 13, 2019 | new project
Brighton Energy Coop is a Brighton and Hove City Council – approved contractor to roll out free solar on our city’s schools.Schools can now host solar panels at no cost, and save significant amounts on their electriciy bills each year. A similar arrangement between...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 13, 2019 | new project
Solar for Schools is underway! High up on the Sussex Downs, Woodingdean Primary School is the first of our partnerships with Brighton and Hove City Council. Woodingdean will be a 60kWp system, and as well as providing educational resources to the children, our solar...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Dec 18, 2018 | Blog
#communityenergy in action! Yesterday work began installing a 60kWp solar system at the @uniofbrighton #grandparade site – here’s the framing that will hold the #solar panels in place. Find out details of all our solar projects –...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Dec 10, 2018 | Blog
Carden Primary School – 180kWp of new community-owned solar planned for the new year Hi folks, I’m very pleased to say that we’ve just launched the latest of our new community-funded solar projects. We’ve been beavering away for the last six...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Dec 4, 2018 | Blog
The UK government is intent on removing planning permission requirements surrounding fracking. Yet with Energy Minister Claire Perry demanding a “line of sight to commerciality”, evidence from the US shows fracking almost never makes any money. The...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Nov 25, 2018 | Blog
There’s little time left before the end of the feed in tariffs scheme. And here’s the straight truth: scrapping feed in tariffs in March will bring UK solar to a juddering halt. That’s why I’m asking you to write to your MP. Tell them that...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Sep 30, 2018 | Blog
Grand Parade Solar – new community energy at the University of Brighton This November Brighton Energy Coop is again teaming up with a major Brighton institution to deliver clean energy to the heart of the city – this time installing solar power at the...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jul 29, 2018 | Blog
April 2019 update – BEC secures exemptions to the end of FITs at THIRTY sites See here for details July 2018: The Government is proposing to bar solar generators’ access to the national grid, by killing off the export tariff, a mechanism via which solar...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jul 19, 2018 | Blog
Solar panel cost will fall by 35% this year, according to business advisory service Bloomberg. In Europe, the average solar panel price has already fallen by 10%; with suppliers and contractors predicting further price falls ahead. Bloomberg base their numbers on vast...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jul 10, 2018 | Blog
Solar for Schools is an initiative offering free solar panels to Brighon and Hove schools, Brighton Energy Coop recently signed a contract with Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) so that – as a local community energy organisation – we can provide solar...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jul 9, 2018 | Blog
Community energy notched up another victory today with the announcement that Littlehampton toolmaker Naiad Plastics will be Brighton Energy Coop’s next community-owned solar PV build. Naiad, a manufacturing company who make injection mouldings and...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jul 5, 2018 | Blog
Recent figures show that the BN postcode area has been kicking out solar PV capacity. More than 9435 buildings across the BN area now have solar. That’s around 36MW of clean solar power Brighton Energy Coop owns 3.3% of our region’s solar capacity (with...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | May 22, 2018 | Blog
The Tesla supercharger charging point – the equivalent power of 100 boiling kettles being put into your car Electric Vehicles (EVs) are pretty cool, eh? This weekend I rode an electric mountain bike: whatever the vehicle, it seems, electrification is on its way....
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | May 16, 2018 | Blog
The UK has suffered a ‘dramatic and worrying collapse’ in clean energy investment, according to MPs. In cash terms, investment in clean energy fell by 10% in 2016 and then 56% in 2017. The House of Commons Enviromental Audit Select Committee said:...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Mar 5, 2018 | Blog
BEC Launches THREE New Community Solar Projects – Get Involved! Well – here it is. Today sees the kick off for the first of our new solar projects for this year: THREE new community-owned solar installations in our area. You can help us get these exciting...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Feb 3, 2018 | Blog
[infogram id=”bar-chart-1hmr6g97emzz4nl?live”]Hi folks, I’m pleased to say that a staggering £290,000 has now been pledged to Brighton Energy Coop’s latest community solar PV schemes. This excellent achievement has been done by BEC members both...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 24, 2018 | Blog
New community energy and school solar projects fell by 99.4% after our incompetent government imposed cuts to the Feed in Tariff, an answer to a parliamentary question has revealed. Using OFGEM figures, Energy Minister Richard Harrington (nope, not heard of him...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 12, 2018 | Blog
Great news – we’ve now had £150,000 pledged towards our forthcoming solar projects, to be announced towards the end of the month. This is a fantastic response from both our 400-strong membership and the wider community. 45 people have said they would like...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jan 5, 2018 | Blog
April 2019 update – BEC secures exemptions to the end of FITs at THIRTY sites See here for details January 2018: The UK Treasury quietly released a document late last year which signalled the end of the UK’s popular renewable energy scheme, the Feed in...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jun 28, 2017 | Blog
The UK’s community energy movement has mushroomed to a staggering £190 million, according to a new report. Community Energy England launched their State of the Sector report in Manchester last weekend, which showed: At least 30,000 people have invested in...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Jun 16, 2017 | Blog
Solar PV framing system being installed on the roof of the University of Brighton’s Robert Dodd Annex building in Eastbourne last week Hi folks, I’m pleased to say that Brighton Energy Coop recently kicked off our latest solar installation – 150kWp...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Apr 19, 2017 | Blog
As part of our ongoing fundraising we have several big new solar projects in the pipeline, and are looking at new ways to fund them. As such we have identified that we need more expertise in project finance. Until now we have raised more than £1.6 million through...
by Will Cottrell, Chairman, Brighton Energy Coop | Apr 7, 2017 | Blog
Guide to installing export metering for solar PV
First published on Sustainable Development Blog by BEC...
UK Fracking Makes No Money and Never Will – Here’s Why
The UK government is intent on removing planning permis...