Creating Community Owned Renewable Energy Projects across East Sussex

Ovesco is a community interest company which has been operating since 2007 in Sussex. We create community owned renewable energy projects so our local community can become zero carbon. We have recently launched Communiheat: A project to roadmap how to take the village of Barcombe off oil on the road to Net Zero.

Developing New Projects

Across the world people are realising that we must act now to deal with man-made climate change. Extreme weather events are more and more frequent. David Attenborough’s recent programme: ‘Climate Change – the Facts’ starkly outlines the threat of climate change globally. School children across Europe have been striking and speaking out and Extinction Rebellion recently held high profile demonstrations in London. They all emphasise the need for urgent action now to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.

In 2019 we installed roof top solar projects on schools across East Sussex. In 2020 we are hoping to build a solar farm to increase the solar capacity in our area. Watch this space for details of our new share offer and when it opens.

Our community benefit society is fully registered with the FCA and managed by our board of directors which consists of local people who have invested in our projects

Ovesco investors

Sun, beer and electricity make use of 545 PV panels installed on the roof of our local brewery in July 2011. This 98kW ground breaking project has already generated over ½ million kWh’s and inspired community energy groups all over the UK.

Community Energy South

working as a co-operative we have a powerful voice. OVESCO supports Co-operatives UK, Community Energy South and Community Energy England to increase our locally owned energy supply.

WHAT WE DO

We develop community-owned renewable energy in East Sussex. We want to reduce our local carbon footprint and lower our dependence on imported energy in partnership with schools, businesses and local people.

We are creating community owned renewable generation assets to make the town carbon neutral. So far we have built over 5.25 MW towards our target.
A question for debate: how can we create community owned “NegaWatts”? i.e. community owned energy saving projects, which would go considerably towards reducing our energy consumption.

Join us by investing in our projects, supporting new projects and sharing energy saving advice with friends and neighbours

Energy use in our area from Government statistics 2018:

Lewes Town:

Domestic electricity: 26,000 MWh
Non-domestic electricity: 12,000 MWh
Domestic Gas usage: 91,000 MWh
Non-domestic gas usage: 31,000 MWh

Lewes District:
Domestic electricity: 176,000 MWh
Non-domestic electricity: 146,000 MWh
Domestic Gas usage: 476,000 MWh
Non-domestic gas usage: 102,000 MWh
Other residual usage: 248,000 MWh (21,000 tonnes e.g. oil for rural off gas)

Eastbourne:

Domestic electricity: 158,700 MWh
Non-domestic electricity: 187,800 MWh
Domestic Gas usage: 158,700 MWh
Non-domestic gas usage: 202,200 MWh
Other residual usage: 93,000 MWh (8,000 tonnes e.g. oil for rural off gas).

A pioneering project leading the way for future low carbon rural communities

CommuniHeat is a partnership between local community energy group Ovesco, engineering practice Buro Happold and electricity distributor UK Power Networks, working with the Parish of Barcombe.

Quotes from partners and investors:

“A more environmentally friendly approach to energy consumption was something our students had pushed hard to achieve.
We are impressed with the ongoing partnership which has been forged between the school and OVESCO including the support for The Ashden Award.”

Tony Smith

Headmaster, Priory School, Lewes

“The live readings from our solar panels, along with individual pupils taking responsibility for turning off lights and equipment demonstrate how substantial savings in cost and CO2 terms can be made.”

Steve Green

Sustainability Manager, Ringmer Community College

Videos

OVESCo – Ashden Award for Community Energy video