Brighton Energy Co-op: An Innovation History July 2012 Report prepared by Sabine Hielscher on behalf of the Community Innovation for Sustainable Energy research team July 2012 For further information please contact: Sabine Hielscher Research Fellow – The Sussex Energy Group SPRU – Science and Technology Policy Research University of Sussex, Freeman Centre Brighton, BN1 9QE Email:
[email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1273 678165 www.grassrootsinnovations.org The Community Innovation for Sustainable Energy project is a partnership between the University of Sussex and the University of East Anglia. The project is funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the European Centre Laboratories for Energy Efficiency Research (ECLEER) of EdF Energ Brighton Energy Co-op Brighton Energy Co-op The Brighton Energy Co-op is a community renewable energy project based in Brighton & Hove. The Co-op currently consists of a chairman, Will Cottrell, two directors, Damian Tow and Ross Gilbert and three advisors, Danni Craker, Jeremy Leggett and John Smith. The Brighton Energy Co-op aims to run and finance renewable energy projects in Brighton & Hove whilst benefiting the local community and the environment. They want to enable people to invest money into renewable energy projects that provide a small financial return to its members but also deliver environmental and social benefits. In the process they aim to make the running of renewable projects more democratic. This innovation history traces the development of the Brighton Energy Co-op from its conception (i.e. the coming together of three people in June 2010) through its development phase, with its numerous setbacks and comebacks (e.g.