We’re committed to supporting energy efficiency and renewables projects, through The Co-operative Bank’s loan fund, The Co-operative Enterprise Hub and campaigning for a Clean Energy Revolution in communities across the UK.
Case study: Torrs hydro New Mills, Derbyshire
Water Power Enterprises (h2oPE) is a social enterprise whose aim is to set-up small-scale hydropower projects that benefit both the environment and local communities.
In 2008 The Co-operative Enterprise Hub provided a grant of £45,000 to h2oPE’s maiden project – Torrs hydro New Mills, in Derbyshire, which was the UK’s first community and co-operatively owned hydropower scheme. Electricity is generated by a reverse Archimedes screw installed at Torr Weir, and very appropriately this electricity supplies the nearby Co-operative Food store in New Mills.
Since this successful scheme The Co-operative Enterprise Hub has provided financial support to h2oPE for the development of similar projects at Settle and Bainbridge, both in North Yorkshire, and most recently two small-scale hydro installations on the River Goyt in Stockport. All these projects are co-operatively run and community owned, and there are many more at the feasibility stages for potential support in the future.
Case study: Baywind Energy Co-operative, Cumbria
Energy4All (E4A) is a co-operative established as a result of the Baywind Energy Co-operative that The Co-operative Enterprise Hub supported with a grant of £40,000. E4A’s founding purpose is to facilitate the ownership and operation of renewable energy projects by local or community-based co-operatives.
Since this successful scheme The Co-operative Enterprise Hub has provided financial support to E4A for the development of similar projects such as Deeping St. Nicholas wind farm, in Cumbria, Westmill wind farm, in Oxfordshire, and Millennium wind farm, in Invergarry.
Sheffield Renewables is a social enterprise committed to improving Sheffield’s environmental sustainability through the development and ownership of renewable energy schemes in and around the city. The Co-operative Enterprise Hub has provided a grant of £25,000 to Sheffield Renewables for the core costs involved in their first two micro-hydro projects at Jordan Dam and Kelham Island Water Wheel.
The Jordan Dam project involves a reverse Archimedes screw and in this respect is similar to the Torrs Hydro new Mills scheme. However the Kelham Island Water Wheel scheme is quite different in that it will generate renewable electricity by re-instating the historic water wheel behind Kelham Island Brewery. Further projects in the pipeline for Sheffield Renewables are likely to involve other renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind.