Who are the partners?

Ovesco is a pioneering community interest company run for the local community in Lewes and the surrounding area since 2007. The first of its kind in the UK, Ovesco was described as ‘the vanguard of the community revolution’ when winning the Ashden Award in 2014. Since then, Ovesco has created community owned renewable energy projects, generating local investment and saving many tonnes of carbon emissions.

Ovesco is a founding member of Community Energy South, a regional umbrella group for the community energy sector in the South East.

On this project Community Energy South is a support partner for Ovesco, and advising on
communications and sharing best practice. Community Energy South will work with the
Partners to write the book on how communities can achieve the transition to low-carbon
heating over the next 10 years so we can share our learning with other rural communities
throughout the UK. 

Some examples of projects:

Brickyard Farm in Barcombe has 19.5kW of solar PV generating 18,500kW, saving 7.95 tonnes of carbon a year and providing free electricity to the eco friendly facilities at the Secret Campsite. Barcombe Nursery Box Scheme has 9kW of solar PV generating 9,500kW, saving 4.1 tonnes of carbon a year and providing free electricity for the on site chillers to keep the fruit and vegetables fresh prior to delivery.

Our vision is for a future where 100% of our energy needs are generated locally from renewable resource. Our mission is to generate community owned renewable energy locally and help as many people as possible to do the same.  We educate and help people to use less oil, coal and gas and share our experience to inspire others.

Described as ‘passionate’, ‘innovative’, ‘collaborative’: Buro Happold is an independent, international engineering practice that for over 40 years has become synonymous with the delivery of creative, value led building and city solutions for an ever changing world. Having worked on every continent, their clients include more than 90% of the world’s leading architectural practices and they have collaborated with global organisations such as the United Nations, The World Bank and UNESCO. Through their global community of driven, world leading engineering and consulting professionals they deliver elegant solutions for buildings and cities that seek to address the major problems facing societies today.

They have made two important pledges;

• Aim to be Net Zero carbon for their own business operations by the end of the financial year ending April 2021.
• Their target is that all new build projects will be Net Zero carbon in operation by 2030 and all projects by 2050.

UK Power Networks is the country’s biggest electricity distributor, making sure the lights stay on for more than eight million homes and businesses across London, the South East and the East of England.

Network operators aren’t the same as energy suppliers; network operators manage local power lines and substations, while energy suppliers sell the electricity that runs through the power lines.

In addition to its core roles of safety, reliability, efficiency and customer services, the company is increasingly focused on facilitating the Net Zero carbon emissions revolution at the best possible value for customers. The company invests more than £600 million in its electricity networks every year, offers extra help to vulnerable customers at times of need, and is undertaking trials to ensure that electricity networks support the transition to a Net Zero future. This involves world leading trials to connect renewable energy projects, facilitate electric vehicle charge points and support the roll-out of low carbon heating

It also moves cables and connects new electricity supplies.