Community Energy Fortnight, 1–14 July. Image: Energise Sussex Coast

Community Energy Fortnight (1–14 July) is coming!

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. ESC’s Gabriel Carlyle explains what’s happening.

Free local events include:

Image: Energise Sussex Coast

Two ‘off-grid solar for beginners’ workshops in St Leonards (Tue 1 & Tue 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 (‘We the Power: the future of energy is community owned’) at Hastings’ iconic venue The Pig (5pm, Sun 6 July);

A special talk and discussion (‘Thinking about solar panels?’) at the Battle Memorial Hall at 7pm on Thurs 10 July.

Energise Sussex Coast will also be taking part in the mass climate lobby of Parliament on Wed 9 July, organised by the Climate Coalition, and running free energy advice stalls at three local festivals :
St Leonards Festival on Saturday 12 July
and Trans Pride Fest on Sun 13 July
and the Protest’ival at the Old Bathing Pool site in St Leonards, also on Sun 13 July).

Full details for all of these events can be found here: www.energisesussexcoast.co.uk/events/

Local projects

Founded in 2012, Energise Sussex Coast’s mission is to act co-operatively to tackle the climate crisis and energy injustice through community-owned renewable power and energy saving schemes.

Image: Energise Sussex Coast

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 Tiling 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 told me: ‘Community Energy Fortnight is a brilliant opportunity to bring people together and show what’s possible when communities take the lead on energy. From practical workshops on solar and off-grid systems to inspiring talks and inspiring local projects, we’re sharing the creativity, care and action happening across East Sussex. 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.’

www.energisesussexcoast.co.uk

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