Value proposition

Communities for Renewables CIC (CfR) helps local energy enterprises to develop, finance and manage their own renewable energy generation. CfR also provides strategic advice to help develop and implement a wide range of local energy business models that help reduce and localise energy spend, tackle fuel poverty, and earn income to re-invest in the local community.

Since setting up in 2012, CfR has worked with over 20 local energy enterprises, local authorities and social landlords across the UK. Over the last 2 years CfR has helped to develop and finance nearly £30 million of community-owned solar projects ranging from solar PV panels on community buildings to one of the largest community-owned solar farms in the UK. CfR’s role in delivering these projects has included supporting:

• Local energy enterprise set-up (including company formation, governance set-up, policies, director mentoring and admin set-up);
• Business planning and exploring new business models, including smart energy technologies and local supply;
• Community and stakeholder engagement strategies;
• Site searching including technical and financial feasibility assessments;
• Project development (including planning, landowner/host engagement and legal agreements, grid connection and procurement);
• Managing the community purchase of renewable energy projects from commercial developers (including management of legal and financial advisors but not providing legal and financial advice);
• Finance transaction management and support for construction and long-term finance from commercial lenders, social investors and community share / bond offers (including management of legal and financial advisors but not providing legal and financial advice);
• Ongoing company admin and asset management.


community energy, renewable energy, local energy, smart energy, enterprise support, community interest company, investment support, community energy cooperative, advisory services, consultancy, asset management, company management, and business support