Celebrating Community Energy!
Local community benefit society Energise Sussex Coast (ESC) will be joining Battle Solar Town and others next month in celebrating Community Energy Fortnight (1-14 July), a national celebration of people-powered energy.
Free local events include:
- two ‘off-grid solar for beginners’ workshops in St Leonards (Tues 1 & Tues 8 July);
- a special online Q&A with ESC’s energy expert Martin Turner, about grants for insulation & home solar (Wed 2 July);
- a free community film screening of We the Power: the future of energy is community owned at Hastings’ iconic venue The Pig (Sun 6 July, 5pm);
- a special talk and discussion, Thinking about solar panels?, at the Battle Memorial Hall (Thurs 10 July, 7pm).
Energise Sussex Coast will also be taking part in the mass climate lobby of Parliament on 9 July, organised by the Climate Coalition, and running free energy advice stalls at three local festivals: St Leonards Festival (Sat 12 July), Trans Pride Fest (Sun 13 July), the Protest’ival at the Old Bathing Pool site in St Leonards (Sun 13 July).
Founded in 2012, Energise Sussex Coast’s mission is to act cooperatively to tackle the climate crisis and energy injustice through community-owned renewable power and energy saving schemes.
Together with its sister project, Energise South, it has helped to install solar panels on a dozen sites across East Sussex, including six schools in Hastings & St Leonards, a block of flats in Bexhill, and community centres in Tilling Green and Pebsham. These projects are currently estimated to be saving local schools £82,000 a year in energy costs.
The government’s Clean Power Action Plan envisions a massive expansion of the community energy sector over the next five years, creating thousands of new jobs.
Energise Sussex Coast is currently working on new community solar projects in Battle, Bexhill, Crowhurst, Eastbourne and Rye.
Energise Sussex Coast director Kate Meakin says: “Community Energy Fortnight is a brilliant opportunity to bring people together and show what’s possible when communities take the lead on energy… Whether you’re curious about solar, want to retrofit your home, or would like to learn more about community energy – there’s something for everyone. We hope these events inspire more people to get involved and imagine a fairer, greener energy future, powered by communities.”
Full details for all of these events can be found at energisesussexcoast.co.uk/events
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