Heat Pump Assessments: Pilot Homes wanted
Are you thinking about an air source heat pump this autumn?
Bath & West Community Energy launches BWCE Home Energy
On 17th September 2024 we officially launch BWCE Home Energy, a new service designed to help residents in Bath and North East Somerset.
Welcome to James & Mike
We are excited to welcome two new members of the BWCE team, strengthening our capacity to support local residents to improve the energy efficiency of their…
BWCE Fund helps More Trees BANES breathe life into Bath
Earlier this year the BWCE Fund gave a £5000 grant to More Trees BANES to insulate their new hub in Twerton. New BWCE volunteer Helen Turnbull went to meet…
Want to help your community use locally-generated renewable electricity?
Join our Focus Group to help us move closer to our vision of local people being able to buy energy from our renewable generating projects.
How Bath City Farm used their 2023 BWCE Fund grant
Bath City Farm received a grant for an air source heat pump to supply heating and hot water to their community farm building. Brendan Wistreich, Director…
Jane Wildblood is the new Chair of the BWCE Fund
Jane Wildblood has become Chair of trustees of the BWCE Fund after joining as a trustee in 2023.
Welcome to Alex, John & Rowena
We are excited to welcome three new members of the BWCE team, strengthening our capacity to deliver both community renewables and home energy assessments.
Why invest in BWCE’s Share Offer
Investing in community energy does more than just support renewable energy generation - our innovative business model also brings community benefit and a sense…
My career developing renewable energy projects
Eve has worked within our asset development team for the past year and a half, helping to grow our renewable energy generation portfolio of rooftop solar,…
Introducing BWCE Home Energy
We’re excited to be launching BWCE Home Energy this Autumn. The service will support local people at each stage of their journey to achieving low carbon,…
Inspiring change through Green Open Homes
Green Open Homes B&NES is a partnership initiative inspiring and educating people about energy efficiency and sustainable living in Bath & North East Somerset.
Why the community energy movement needs support from local politicians and national government
What policy changes are required to help community energy organisations make a bigger impact?
How Eco Together used their BWCE Fund grant money in 2023
The BWCE Fund provided a grant of £3200 to enable Eco Together to employ a part-time coordinator to support the development of the programme and Eco Together…
How Climate Hub BANES used their BWCE Fund grant money in 2023
The BWCE Fund provided a grant of £1200 to Climate Hub Bath & North East Somerset to help with the development of a physical Climate Hub in Bath that can act…
Sir Bernard Lovell Academy is our biggest rooftop solar installation to date
As part of our exciting partnership with Futura Learning Partnership we have installed our biggest rooftop solar installation to date at Sir Bernard Lovell…
10 local community projects receive funding in 2024 from the BWCE Fund
The BWCE) Fund is pleased to announce that £31,505 in grants have been awarded to 11 local charitable and community organisations in Bath and the surrounding…
Would you like to hold a Green Open Homes event in your community?
Would you be interested in becoming a Green Open Homes champion in your area and run a local event where homes are opened to the residents to encourage and…
BWCE Review of 2023
What a year it’s been for Bath & West Community Energy! Here are some of the highlights.
Green Open Homes event attracts over 700 visits to local eco-homes
Green Open Homes B&NES 2023 is a wrap! 22 Open Homes in Bath and the Chew Valley were host to 788 visits on the weekend of the 4th and 5th of November. The…
All Change at BWCE!
BWCE’s work is expanding and consequently we have grown our team and developed new roles for existing team members.
BWCE Fund open for applications
The BWCE Fund is open for applications until 12 noon on 3rd November.
BWCE Fund grant helps Keynsham Community Energy support families struggling with energy bills
Thanks to a BWCE fund grant, 50 local families on benefits and struggling with their energy bills are now able to make nutritious food cheaply in a slow…
Bright Green Homes – two more years funding for off-gas households
Bath & West Community Energy have again been contracted to help promote Bright Green Homes, which has received a further two years funding from the…
Our visit to St John’s Primary School
On 18th May we visited one our latest solar schools,. St John's Primary in Midsomer Norton.
Green Open Homes weekend is back!
We are delighted to announce that after 10 years the Green Open Homes weekend is back! Join us on the 4th and 5th November 2023.
BWCE Community Energy Roadshow in Peasedown, 20th June
Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) is thrilled to announce our Community Energy Roadshow on Tuesday 20th in Peasedown St John.
Share Offer Information Sessions
Join us at one of our upcoming online information sessions. An opportunity to find out more about BWCE, our projects and the share offer and ask questions.
Solar panels installed at St Mark’s School in Bath
If you live in the Larkhall area, you may have noticed the solar panels now installed on St Mark’s school! The work was carried out over the Easter holidays…
We’ve won two Bath Life Awards!
We are proud to have won two Bath Life Awards in the Civic and Sustainability categories.
Good to Meet Up with you!
It was great to meet the 45 members and supporters who turned up to our Meet Up on 27th March at the Museum of Bath at Work. We heard presentations from a…
Welcome to Cathy
We are delighted to welcome Cathy Crozier-Cole, who is taking a lead on the development of BWCE’s new home energy retrofit service.
BWCE Fund supports the Funder Commitment on Climate Change
In May 2021, the BWCE Fund signed up to the Funder Commitment on Climate Change, committing to play our part in addressing the causes of climate change and…
We’re supporting onshore wind
BWCE’s Managing Director Pete Capener has joined Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and over 100 leading thinkers on energy and the environment in writing to Michael…
BWCE have won the European Solar prize!
We are extremely pleased to announce that we have won the European Solar Prize. The Solar Prize is awarded to cities, communities, architects, municipal and…
Solar Electricity trading trial
BWCE are working in partnership with Avalon Community Energy on a research project around maximising the local use of solar power from domestic roofs.
Homeowners in Bishop Sutton and nearby villages invited to join a community solar trial
We are looking for households in Bishop Sutton and some surrounding villages to take part in a trial that simulates the 'buying' of energy from our solar array…
BWCE Fund awards grants to 11 community projects
The BWCE) Fund is pleased to announce that £31,505 in grants have been awarded to 11 local charitable and community organisations in Bath and the surrounding…
Wera Hobhouse MP visits BWCE’s rooftop solar project at Beechen Cliff School
On 27th January Bath MP Wera Hobhouse visited a rooftop solar system installed by Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) at Beechen Cliff School.
Interested in becoming a member of BWCE?
We are running some informal online information sessions providing an opportunity to find out about BWCE, our projects and our current community share offer.
Bright Green Homes – funding available for energy efficiency
BWCE have been commissioned to recruit householders in Bath & North East Somerset to the Bright Green Homes initiative being run by Bristol, B&NES and North…
BWCE Review of 2022
2022 has been a very busy and productive year for BWCE. Read our review of 2022 to find out what we've been up to.
Carole Bond 1957-2022
We are very sad to announce the death of Carole Bond, who was a trustee of the BWCE Fund from its inception in 2014 onwards. Carole played a key role in the…
Watch our new video
In conjunction with the re-launch of our community share offer we have worked with If Not Now Digital to produce a short video about BWCE. Please watch it and…
Our Team is growing
Between September and November 2022 BWCE took on four new members of staff. Here are our new team members. We welcome them to the BWCE family and look forward…
BWCE, the Windfall Tax and the cost of renewable electricity
Our Managing Director Pete Capener explains how the Government’s windfall tax on renewables will affect BWCE and considers how a fairer energy pricing system…
Three Ways in Bath becomes our latest solar school
Three Ways in Bath is the latest school to benefit from rooftop solar installation from BWCE, with solar panels being installed over the October half-term…
BWCE enables 125 tonnes per year carbon reduction across four local schools
Some facts and figures on our summer rooftop solar installations on local schools, including size, power and carbon savings.
Seeking residents for a community solar trial
We are looking for households in Bishop Sutton and some surrounding villages to take part in a trial that simulates the 'buying' of energy from our solar array…
Update on the proposed Fairy Hill Solar Array
B&NES Council has given us some helpful feedback on the proposed Fairy Hill community solar array in preparation for a planning application
We need to raise £1 million for rooftop solar
To support and expand our current rooftop installation programme we need to raise £500,000 by Christmas 2022 and £1 million by April 2023.
Bath Home Energy Survey
BWCE are hosting an online Bath Home Energy Survey which has been developed by the new Retrofitting Team at Transition Bath.
We are recruiting a Head of Community Business Development
We are looking for a creative, strategic thinker that can take a lead on developing new community energy services and reach new audiences.
Upcoming installations and new share offer
We will be installing 625KW on school roofs over the summer, including our biggest ever rooftop system at Beechen Cliff School in Bath, and will soon be…
BWCE Supporters go on a ‘Solar Walk’
Our latest Meet-Up for BWCE members and supporters was a lunchtime ‘Solar Walk’ in the Lyncombe area of Bath on 26th July led by BWCE member Steve Cross.
BWCE Fund supports sustainable food for carers
The BWCE Fund has supported the Carers Centre to create a food garden to enable carers to learn to grow food in order to increase sustainability and food…
BWCE Fund supports Keynsham energy efficiency drive
A BWCE Fund grant has helped Keynsham Community Energy (KCE) deliver advice and energy saving measures to over 150 people in Keynsham.
New Supporters Network activities being planned
After our successful Meet-Up at Bath City Farm we are planning new BWCE Supporters activities including a 'Solar Walk' in Bath and an online 'Insight Session'…
We’re Shouting About Co-ops Together
Bath & West Community Energy have been working with Bath Cooperative Alliance and the Co-operative Group Member Pioneers in Bath, Bradford on Avon and Corsham…
BWCE Fund Trustees visit Corston Community Orchard
On 23rd June BWCE Fund Chairperson Sophie Hooper Lea, fund Trustee Alastair Singleton and Nick Bird from BWCE visited Corston Community Orchard to see how this…
BWCE welcomed ReDREAM project partners to Bath
In June 2022 BWCE hosted a Project Milestone Meeting, in Bath ,for over 20 participants from our partner organisations in the EU funded ReDREAM project. Our…
BWCE publishes report on Next Generation funded Flex Community Project
BWCE have been grateful to receive Next Generation funding from Power to Change for our Flex Community project which concluded at the end of March 2022. We are…
BWCE Supporters Meet-Up at Bath City Farm
On 27th May 17 people came together for a BWCE Supporters Meet-Up at Bath City Farm. With the farm being a beneficiary of the BWCE Fund, we thought this would…
BWCE Fund supports families to take action on climate change
This year the BWCE Fund awarded £1725 to FACE (Families Acting on Climate Emergency) to help them build the FACE community in schools and other settings across…
BWCE Fund supports low carbon cafe at Bath City Farm
This year the BWCE Fund awarded Bath City Farm £5,000 towards an air source heat pump and ventilation system for the new purpose-built community hub and cafe…
Writhlington becomes our latest Solar School
BWCE are delighted to announce the installation of a large-scale 170kW solar system on the roof of Writhlington School in Radstock.
BWCE Fund helps iconic heritage building towards energy efficiency
What do you do when one of the most inspiring places in a World Heritage City is also one of the worst performers in energy terms? That's the question a senior…
BWCE Fund hands out £31,706 to local community projects
The BWCE Fund has awarded £31,706 in funding to 11 projects to help them reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty
BWCE Fund supported Grow Batheaston flourishing!
In January 2021 GROW Batheaston received a grant from the BWCE Fund. Only one year old at the time, this community group has really ‘grown’ since then! Ali…
How could the UK Government support Community Energy?
Some of the ideas suggested by BWCE to our local MP Wera Hobhouse prior to the Community Energy Schemes debate in parliament.
COP 26, the UK Government and Community Energy
BWCE’s Managing Director Pete Capener reflects on COP26 and the role of Government and community energy in the energy transition.
Half Year Generation Report
In the six months from April to the end of September BWCE projects have generated 8,909 MWh. That's equivalent to the electrical demand from 5,748 homes during…
BWCE Fund Now Open
The BWCE Fund is now open for applications with a deadline of 9am on 5th November 2021. The BWCE Fund supports local community projects that target the…
BWCE Out and About
We've been out and about running information stalls at the Keynsham Eco Festival, the 3SG event on environmental projects, a drop-in at Cheap Street in Bath…
Sign Up to Support Community Energy
We are launching a campaign to sign up 1000 supporters by October 2022 to demonstrate the level of support for community energy locally and to win backing for…
What happened at the AGM?
The key decisions made at our 2021 Annual General Meeting on 25th September.
Chris Crookall-Fallon to become new BWCE Chair
Chris Crookall-Fallon is to take over from Jane Stephenson as the new BWCE Chair. We hear from Chris about his previous involvement and on his thoughts for the…
Jane Stephenson to step down as BWCE Chair
At this year’s AGM Jane Stephenson will step down as BWCE Chair, a position she has held since 2016. Jane says farewell to the role and Managing Director Pete…
BWCE Fund supports Julian House Bike Workshop
The BWCE Fund awarded Julian House (Bath) £4827 towards the running costs of the Bath Bike Workshop. Rowena Knight, Senior Trusts Fundraiser at Julian House…
BWCE Fund supports Batheaston New Village Hall
The BWCE Fund awarded Batheaston New Village Hall (BNVN) committee £2797 towards the purchase and installation of solar panels for the new Community Village…
BWCE Fund supports Peter Pan Play School
The BWCE Fund awarded Peter Pan Play School (Newbridge, Bath) £1000 for the provision of a bike, scooter and pram shed. Clare Moon, the Peter Pan Committee…
1st Quarter Report on Generation
From 1st April 2021 to end of June 2021 our renewable energy projects have generated 4,894MWh. But what does this mean?
Sustainable home energy information
We have created an online resource with links to various organisations providing advice and guidance on sustainable home energy.
Flex Community Expands
BWCE's Flex Community is expanding and we have a new animation that explains Flex in less than 90 seconds.
BWCE enhancing biodiversity at solar site
A draft report by Wychwood Biodiversity Limited has highlighted that BWCE’s Wilmington solar farm is “an impressive site from a biodiversity perspective, with…
BWCE’s community business strategy to 2025
On 8th July 2021 we held a meeting to enable BWCE members to tell us what they thought about our new business plan before it was presented to the AGM on 25th…
Solar Streets report available
Our Solar Streets project in the Bear Flat area of Bath tested a community approach to electricity demand management through the integration of domestic solar…
BWCE webinar on transforming home energy demand
The latest in our series of Living with Renewables webinars was run in conjunction with Avalon Community Energy. It provided an overview of the context and…
Introducing Bath’s Renewable Farm
With a grant of £5,000 from the BWCE Fund, Middle Ground Growers have installed solar panels to power the farm, including cargo bikes, electric tools and a…
Reasons to be Cheerful
We are really pleased to be featured in the online Reasons to be Cheerful magazine founded by David Byrne of Talking Heads fame.
Welcome to Alex and Julia
We have two new members of staff joining our team. Alex Jones is joining as Administrator and Julia O’Connor is our new Marketing and Communications Officer.
Interview with Sarah Warren
BWCE carried out a video interview with Sarah Warren, B&NES Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency to find out what motivates her, what she hopes to achieve and…
Share and Repair Needs your Help
Lorna Montgomery explains how Bath Share & Repair are seeking volunteers and some particular items for two new and interesting projects, one of which has been…
Electric vehicle charging network consultation
We are carrying out a consultation in Bradford on Avon to assess the support for a community owned ev charging network.
Update on Generation & Investment
Our renewable energy projects have generated 11,028MWh from 1st April 2020 to end of December 2020 and our latest share offer is close to reaching £700,000!
BWCE responds to B&NES Local Plan consultation
BWCE has responded to the consultation Bath & North East Somerset Council is carrying out on the Local Plan Partial Update. See our response in full.
Go Green Widcombe
Former BWCE Fund grant recipient Energy Efficient Widcombe have re-launched as Go Green Widcombe with big plans to combat the climate emergency. Tim Williamson…
BWCE Fund awards £36,000 to cut carbon emissions
The BWCE Fund has awarded £33,300 in funding to 11 B&NES projects that are reducing carbon emissions and helping to tackle the climate emergency.
BWCE are Recruiting!
BWCE are recruiting for two new posts - an administrator and a Marketing & Communications Officer. Deadline 1st February 2021.
BWCE working with Parish Councils
BWCE wants to help communities to control, own and benefit from renewable energy in their local area. Find out how we can work with Parish Councils to achieve…
Warm & Green Homes webinar
See the presentation from our November 2020 Warm & Green Homes webinar plus links to other other useful information, advice and funding.
The Energy Demand Challenge
Renewable energy development will be held back unless we find ways of enabling householders to become more flexible in the way that they use energy on a daily…
Flex Community gets a big boost
Flex Community has been chosen to be one of the demonstration projects for ReDream, a European wide project initiated by Stemy Energy and Comillas University.……
Green Electricity Tariffs
Can you guarantee a green electricity tariff is supplying 100% renewable energy and will you need to pay over the odds for it? The answers to these questions…
Community Fund profile – Share and Repair
The BWCE Community Fund has helped Share and Repair in its mission to repair, reduce, reuse and recycle. Lorna Montgomery tells us how they are growing and…
Community Fund profile – Energy Sparks
BWCE Community Fund support helped Energy Sparks to test its website and energy education programme in local schools. The project has now gone nationwide.
Can we create an EV charging network?
BWCE has secured funding from the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) to test the viability of a community owned electric vehicle charging network running on…
Sophie answers questions on the Community Fund
Our Community Fund is open until 2nd November. Chair of Fund trustees Sophie Hooper Lea tells us why she got involved and shares her thoughts on the fund.
Community Fund profile – Greenlinks
Bath Mind's Greenlinks project received a BWCE Community Fund grant in January 2020. Amanda Bolton, Greenlinks Manager, tells us about the great work they are…
BWCE AGM 12th September 2020
Our 2020 AGM will be held online from 2.30 to 4.30pm on Saturday 12th September. This year marks the 10 year anniversary of the launch of BWCE. As we enter our…
Community Fund guidelines updated
The BWCE Community Fund is due to launch on 14th September, subject to confirmation from members at the AGM. As a response to the Covid-19 crisis, fund…
Smart Household Energy
During our recent events on managing energy demand BWCE board member Sonya Bedford talked about the benefits she had received from having a smart meter and a…
Managing Energy Demand
Following our June 2020 Living with Renewables webinar on Managing Energy Demand we have produced information on the ‘greenest’ time to use energy, time of use…
BWCE Annual General Meeting, Sat 12th September
This year is our 10th anniversary! We had been hoping to celebrate with our members and supporters in person but we have been unable to do this. Our 2020 AGM…
We’ve raised half a million!
Our latest share offer has passed the half a million mark. Thanks to all our new members and the existing members who have invested more in community owned…
Your chance to support renewable friendly planning policies
80% of the population support onshore wind so why are there so few wind turbines in Bath & North East Somerset?
Are you planning to install a heat pump or an EV charging point?
Our Next Generation funded Flex Community project aims to combine home energy assets with smart technology designed by Stemy Energy to better balance demand…
Community Solar 2020 aims for a big power surge!
Thanks to our Solar Roof Spotters we have had over 100 enquiries to Community Solar 2020 and we are currently discussing a number of viable projects with local…
Your chance to support renewable friendly planning policies
80% of the population support onshore wind so why are there so few wind turbines in Bath & North East Somerset? Why don’t more houses have solar panels? How…
Covid 19 – Our response
Due to the current COVID-19 health emergency BWCE, in common with most organisations, is changing the way it operates.
BWCE Community Fund awards £28,000 to boost local community projects
An eco-therapy allotment, an edible food forest, a nappy library, energy ambassadors in schools, energy advice events, thermal home surveys, a solar powered…
Flex Community update
Applications have closed for our Flex Community pilot project on hot water heating and we are currently installing the Stemy Energy controller and app in a…
Solar Roof Spotters Guide available to download
Our Roof Spotters Guide with all the information to enable you to spot a viable roof for our Community Solar 2020 project is now available to download as a PDF…
How can you support BWCE in 2020?
We have had a good response to our Supporters Survey but we need more to build up a better picture of the geographical coverage of our supporter base, the…
BWCE launches Community Solar 2020
BWCE are pleased to announce the launch of Community Solar 2020, a new programme to install community owned solar pv in the Bath & West area. Community Solar…
Flex Community – an innovative approach to reducing carbon emissions
BWCE are excited to be embarking on a partnership with Stemy Energy, a company set up, as a spin off from Comillas University in Madrid and MIT, to promote a…
BWCE is the UK’s 2nd largest Energy & Environment Co-op
According to the Co-op Economy 2019 report from Co-operatives UK we are the 2nd largest Energy & Environment Co-op in the country! The Co-op Economy is the…
Riverside noticeboard for the Old Mill hydro project
BWCE have collaborated with another local environmental group to install an information board on the South side of the River Avon at Bathampton enabling…
Responses from B&NES Council election candidates to BWCE questions
In the run up to the Bath & North East Somerset Council elections on 2nd May 2019 we sent a series of questions to all political parties standing candidates in…
