Community Energy Newham


Co-operative Research Project:

How can community energy be accessible to all?

Community Energy has come to Newham!

Together with local people Repowering London is bringing community-owned solar energy to Newham, working directly with and for residents to drive action on climate change and create stronger social ties across the borough. 

The Community Energy Newham story so far …

  • Community Energy Newham (CEN) has been officially established as a Community Benefit Society, with five founding volunteer directors and a group of active local volunteers. Find out more about how the group will work in the ‘How CEN works’ panel below.

  • The first solar panel installations for CEN will be at three borough libraries: East Ham Library, Beckton Globe Library and Stratford Library. Altogether these will provide 177 kWp of solar capacity – enough to power some 50 London homes.

  • We are also investigating a number of other sites where we hope to install community solar, including local schools and leisure centres.

  • A Community Share Offer is coming! In March 2024, we will be giving local residents the chance to invest in CEN and clean, renewable energy. Watch this space, and sign up to receive updates using the button below.
East Ham Library is one of our first solar locations

Thanks to our funders

Join our monthly meetings

We hold meetings for interested people and volunteers on the 1st Tuesday of every month and would love to see you there. For details of the next meeting, just email communityenergynewham@gmail.com 

Fun, creative events for you

We have already held a number of events and activities, including a Creative Energy Club, to give local residents a chance to learn more about the energy system and how they can help make it fairer and greener.

More events are on the way, so sign up for updates to ensure you don’t miss out. It’s easy, just use one of the buttons on this page to join our mailing list.

The view from a volunteer

"I have been experiencing the role of director in Community Energy Newham, which allows me to be part of decision-making and follow the project closely. I have a view that the group will continue to be strong and make this project successful."

– Community Energy Newham volunteer director

How community energy can help Newham residents

CHEAP & CLEAN POWER

The project will provide a source of low-carbon, lower-cost energy.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Repowering London will run workshops that focus on energy saving and climate action.

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE

It is an opportunity for residents to take visible, direct climate action, which leads to behaviour change.

COMMUNITY COHESION

The project provides a focus for climate-conscious residents and builds community.

How Community Energy Newham works

Repowering London has set up a Community Benefit Society to run the project and hold the funds raised. These Societies are legal entities whose statutory purpose is to serve the broader interests of the community. This means that any proceeds from the project are locked into Newham and delivered to local residents.
  • Local residents aged 16 or over, businesses, councils and others can invest in the Society by purchasing shares. Shareholders automatically become members. You can invest from as little as £100 (specific concessions £50).

  • To ensure no one is left out, Newham residents can become a non-investor member for £1 and have the same say in how the project is run as any investor. Contact communityenergynewham@gmail.com if you’d like to be a non-investor member.

  • The Society is run by members and a board of directors (see below) who come from the local community. Governance of the Society is truly democratic because each member has one vote, no matter whether or how much they invest.

  • The Society uses the funds raised from shares to buy and install the solar panels, which provide regular income. We expect shareholders to receive an estimated return on their investment of around 3% pa over the lifetime of the project and get their initial stake back.

  • After core costs and investor returns have been paid out, any remaining income is given to the Community Fund.

Ready to get involved?

We are not currently accepting investment in Community Energy Newham but click the button below to join our mailing list and be the first to hear of future share offers.

We are also happy to hear from people who would like to volunteer for our projects. Simply email communityenergynewham@gmail.com to let us know you want to help. 

Our CEN directors

CEN currently has five voluntary directors. Their role is to ensure the Community Benefit Society is running well and to support its development with support from Repowering London.

Olawale Ajibola

Olawale has been a Newham resident for more than 30 years and is committed to tackling the climate change crisis with a focus on finding locally inspired sustainability solutions.

Kiera Coward Deyell

Kiera is Repowering London’s Low Carbon Asset Manager and a Newham local who is passionate about community-led innovations in sustainability.

Marco Brunone

Marco has been working in the energy industry for the past eight years and is currently working to help Great Britain's energy infrastructure adapt to a net zero, low-carbon future.

Zizidi Nluta

Zizidi has a BSc in Earth Science, has been interested in the climate emergency campaign since 2020, and is willing to support the process of net-zero emissions. This motivated her to build a career in the energy sector.

Patricia Calixto (secretary)

Patricia works at Repowering London, engaging with residents about community energy. She is committed to creating a fair and sustainable energy system and building strong, resilient communities.

Gallery: A taste of our recent events

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