Financing renewables projects

How to pay for the various stages of your project will always be a key question. The good news is that there are lots of options but this does mean that it is worth planning in advance to decide what is going to work best for your type of project and technology.

If you are planning to tackle a renewable energy project the Project Finance module of the Community Renewables Toolkit will walk you through the options. It covers:

Overview: funding each stage of development
Steps to obtaining project finance:
1. Early stage finance
2. Assessing financial viability
3. Project finance options
4. Financial close obtaining project finance
The basics of finance

Click here to access the full project finance module

Another useful source of information is Pure Leapfrog's investment readiness guide which will help you think through the other things you need to have in place to be seen as 'investable': the finance ready guide can be downloaded here.

If you want to seek investment you will need to put together a compelling business plan for investors. Our guide to creating such a plan can be downloaded here.

To see projects which currently have share offers available click here.

Further resources

A key source of current finance is the Rural Community Energy Fund (Relaunched during the Community Energy Fortnight 2019). The fund is currently open for applications. In its new format, community energy organisations can apply for grants of up to £40,000 to assess the feasibility of community-led renewable energy projects. Follow on grants of up to £100,000 are available to support the more ambitious projects gain planning consent and get them ready to attract investment.The deadline for the first round is 23rd August, further rounds will be run quarterly with the next one in November. The fund is being administered by the Local Energy Teams on behalf of BEIS and DEFRA. The Energy Hub is a new BEIS funded team whose role is to work with local authorities, LEPs and community energy groups to accelerate the delivery of local energy schemes. To register your interest and to receive an application pack please email your local energy hub. You can find that information here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rural-community-energy-fund

Other more general sources of finance are available on the Community Energy England website.

The SCO-RES website provides information for developers and communities on shared ownership schemes. Guides are available for engaging with local communities during the development of a project alongside information on strategy, protocol and policy relating to this area.

For inspiration from abroad, there are series of case studies from Denmark, Germany and the UK on cost and financing aspects of community renewable energy projects.

Related Projects

Local energy enterprise support

CfR helps local energy enterprises go from pub chat to company set-up, business planning, feasibility, community engagement, project development, financing, procurement and operations.

Energy spend is a significant drain ...
Let's Talk Energy Liverpool

3 linked workshops about where energy comes from, how it is controlled by the Big 6 and Government and what we can do to build energy-secure and low carbon communities ...
Northern Powergrid 2017 Community Energy Seed Fund

Northern Powergrid are offering local groups the chance to secure funding to kick-start their own community energy project.

The Community Energy Seed Fund is offering grants from £1,000 to ...
Urban Community Energy Fund

Funding for community energy projects

CSE is administering, with Pure Leapfrog, the government-funded £10m Urban Community Energy Fund (UCEF) which was launched in November 2014. The scheme funds community ...
Communities for Renewables CIC

CfR is a specialist advisory company that helps local energy enterprises, local authorities and commercial developers to develop, finance and manage renewable energy generation schemes that are owned by and ...
Investment support

From feasibility grants and community share offers to commercial investment, CfR can help raise the funds required to make your local energy project happen.

CfR have a track record ...
Invest in community energy

Are you a social investor? Find out about current community energy share offers and register your interest in future opportunities.
Community Energy Conference 2015

On Saturday 5th September Co‐operative Energy and Community Energy England jointly hosted the third annual Community Energy Conference at the Said Business School, Oxford University.

This was certainly Co-operative ...
Bristol Community Energy Fund

Bristol City Council has launched its new community energy website http://www.bristolcommunityenergy.co.uk/

Funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Bristol City Council is undertaking an exciting programme ...
CO2Sense

CO2Sense is an active investor in community energy developments. To discuss your project with us, please contact Jemma Benson on Jemma.Benson@CO2Sense.co.uk or 0113 247 3846, or Kulraj Heer on Kulraj.Heer@CO2Sense.co.uk ...
Big Energy Idea 2017 (Fund)

Ignite are looking for the brightest business ideas that use energy to make a difference in people’s lives. If you have an energy related idea, and are looking for investment ...
Resilient Energy Mounteneys Renewables

2 x 500kW Wind projects at Cherry Rock Farm & Mounteneys Farm. Surplus from the two turbines will be used to remove homes from fuel poverty & provide self funding ...
Energy Prospects

This project is listed by Community Energy England. For further information please see their website, listed above.

If you own this project and want to edit this data please ...
Community Renewable Energy Wandsworth (CREW)

CREW is a voluntary group based in Wandsworth that works to create a sustainable income from clean energy. This income is dedicated to promoting well-being in disadvantaged communities in Wandsworth.

Related Categories

EU Funded Projects

EU Funded Community Energy Projects
Community Renewables Wind module

This guide will assist with installing wind turbines in England and help you understand the steps needed to deliver a project. The Community Renewables Toolkit is designed as a reference ...
Community Renewables Hydro module

This guide will assist with developing a hydropower scheme in England and help you understand the steps needed to deliver a project. The Community Renewables Toolkit is designed as a ...
Community Renewables Biomass module

This guide will assist with installing biomass energy project in England and help you understand the steps needed to deliver a project. The Community Renewables Toolkit is designed as a ...
Community Renewables Heat Pump module

This guide will assist with developing a heat pump project in England and highlight the key differences between a renewable heat and renewable electricity project.
Community Renewables Securing a Site module

This module is designed to act as a guide and reference document to the process of identifying and securing a site for your project.
Community Renewables Planning module

This module acts as guide to the planning system in England for the development of a community renewable energy project.
Community Renewables Project Plan toolkit

If your group is proceeding with a project, you will need to start compiling a project development plan. A Project Plan template can be downloaded here. This should be populated ...
Community Renewables Finance model

The finance model toolkit is designed to enable users to understand and carry out assessments of the indicative financial performance of a community renewable energy project using the Community Renewables ...
Community Renewables Finance module example

This document gives an example of a finance model for a community renewable energy project. The aim is to give community groups a worked example of an indicative early stage ...

Financing renewables projects