Solar Co-ops
Starting your energy Co-operative
Energy Co-operatives
Energy co-ops can take various forms, they can simply be buying groups for the equiment (usually solar PV panels, cables inverters etc.) for installation on members’ own roofs, or they can entail purchasing land for either solar farms or a wind turbine. They could include insulation for your home, to make it more energy-efficient, and the cost can be spread over up to 20-25 years.
Look at some of the examples in the panel bottom right for a better idea of how many different co-ops operate.
Other resources
- German Community Renewables – article
- Westmill Solar Co-op – case study article
- Community Solar
- Repowering London Community Projects
- Clearway – Community Projects (USA)
- USA Community Solar project finder
- Solar Energy Industries Association (USA)
- Sola in the Community (USA)
- Renewable Energy storage by compressed air (US)
- Solar Battery Storage: The Best Solar Batteries [2020] (UK)
- Solar Panel Battery Storage – Which? (UK)
- Compare Solar Battery Storage System Cost in the UK (UK)
- Domestic PV – The Green Way Solar (UK)
- Solar Battery Storage – Battery Storage Specialist
- Compare Solar Battery Storage System Cost in the UK (UK)
- Domestic PV – The Green Way Solar (UK)
Examples
- Baywind Energy Co-op (Engl.)
- Brighton Energy Co-op (Engl.)
- Bristol Energy Co-op (Engl.)
- Brixton Energy Co-op (Engl.)
- Drumlin Wind Energy Co-op (N. Irel.)
- Co-op Energy (UK)
- Edinburgh Solar Co-op (Scot.)
- Norwich Community Solar (Engl.)
- People’s Energy Co-op (Engl.)
- Pomona Solar Co-operative (Engl.)
- Westmill Solar Co-op (Engl.)
- Kilbraur Energy Co-op (Scot.)
- Energy Co-ops Ireland (IE)
- Tvindkraft (DK)
- Affordable renewable power for the poor (Int’l)
- Co-operative Community Energy (CA USA)
- Co-operative Energy (MS USA)
- Kentucky Touchstone Energy Co-operative (USA)
- People’s Energy Co-op (MN USA)
- Singing River Electric Co-op (USA)
- Farming the Sun (Aus)
- Goulburn Community Solar Farm (Aus)
- Hepburn Wind (Aus)