Community Energy Capacity Building Project
In September 2025 the Midlands Net Zero Hub (MNZH) commissioned the Energy Savings Trust Ltd to deliver a community energy capacity building project. This work supported six local authorities to develop tailored community energy strategies to build local community energy capacity. Learnings from the tailored plans were then condensed to produce an LA guide to community energy. All the plans and the guide then fed into a MNZH wide report into how best to increase community energy capacity in the Midlands.
Literature Review
We were very conscious that there is already a lot of similar work out there and we were keen not to ‘reinvent the wheel’. For this reason the first work package delivered by the Energy Saving Trust team was a ‘literature review’. This turned up several studies, looking to give guidance for working with community groups and local authorities. A thorough review of successful UK community energy capacity-building schemes, identifying best practices and lessons learned was produced at the early stage of the project.
Community Energy Group Identification
It was felt that in order to build capacity, the number of existing groups in each of the areas should be established and contact made (if not already). This work package involved assessing existing community energy groups and projects for their capacity, impact, and growth potential. Key stakeholders and funding opportunities were mapped and added to an area specific graphic-rich report. This work then led to stakeholder engagement session with councils and community groups talking to each other about current and potential projects. The value of just getting people in a room should not be underestimated!
Capacity Review
This work package was delivered at the same time as the community group identification. The capacity of an area to support community projects as well as the capacity of the community groups to deliver was assessed. In order to asses area capacity there was local area energy plans and carbon reduction/net zero plans from each of the study areas across were used. The review also identified barriers such as regulatory, financial, and social challenges. The final report proposed mitigation strategies and demonstrated how community energy can align with council net-zero targets and strategic development approaches in each of the study areas.
Support for Existing Groups
Local authorities received targeted engagement plans, and community energy groups have been supported through outreach activities and given access to resources, such as networking opportunities, and expert advice. The work also facilitated the development of area-wide networks to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing.
A summary of the various governance structures for community energy groups, including community interest companies, cooperatives, and partnerships, has been provided in addition to recommendations for best practices as part of this work. This will ensure that new and existing groups will know the correct governance structure for their projects and will have access to relevant case studies and reports.
Conclusions
As a result of this work community energy groups and local authorities are attending regular meetings in some areas already. Individual members are lending their expertise and experience to other groups and new projects are being discussed. We have shown through this work that increasing capacity does not necessarily mean starting new groups, but that capacity can come from sharing knowledge, communicating with the various stakeholders and having a plan.
The Final Report and Guide for Local Authorities and Community Energy Groups are available to download below.