Our Projects
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Let's sort insulation!
Developing a Community-led insulation Project
Our latest project is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. The plan is to develop a community-led, not-for-profit insulation service.
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Our work in the community over the years has highlighted the lack of good loft insulation. Adequate insulation can reduce household heating needs and costs by up to 70%. As energy costs and the climate crisis escalate it is now more important than ever to make sure that your household insulation is as good as it can be, and with the support of our grant, we can help make that happen.
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We will provide a free Energy Performance Certificate, home insulation assessment, and advice. To provide low-cost, quick-win insulation measures, initially for 30 homes. We will also review suppliers in the local area and look at the feasibility of carrying out measures ourselves on a not-for-profit basis. The project will be managed by our very own Domestic Energy and Retrofit Assessor, Frank.
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The assessments will be offered in the Winter of 2022. All homes within 15 miles of Forest Row are eligible. Please let us know if you would like to benefit from this service. Priority will be given to members of Forest Row Energy Co-op. You can join us here.
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Support for Renewables
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We support renewable energy installations for businesses and homeowners. If you are able to invest in technologies such as solar panels or heat pumps you can radically cut your carbon, become more energy self sufficient and reduce your energy bills.
For homeowners, we can undertake an initial pre-check of your home to let you know what renewable energy technologies would be the most suitable. We will then refer you on to our trusted suppliers.
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We offer corporate membership to local businesses that will give you consultancy time that you can use to project manage your solar installations
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Take a look at what we offer to see how we can help you.
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Renewable Heat for Rural Communities
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Between 2020 and 2022 we delivered a renewable heat project, funded by the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) and also worked with OVESCO as part of the Communiheat project.
The RCEF project supported 40 households on their journey to transition from using heating oil to adopting low carbon heating. For each household that was part of the project we assessed the property, produced technology designs and completed a whole-life financial analysis that to show the long-term costs and benefits of using the new technology.
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The Communiheat project investigated what would need to happen for a rural village to transition from oil to low carbon heating. Forest Row Energy managed the home surveys for the project.
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Following the projects, we are working on a funding strategy that aims to reduce the upfront costs of installing the technologies in the properties that we have worked with and those further afield.
Solar PV at Nutley Hall
With the support of Forest Row Energy, Nutley Hall has taken another big step in reducing its carbon emissions by installing solar PV on buildings throughout its estate.
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The much-valued living and working community based in Nutley already heats its buildings with a carbon neutral biomass district heating system and purchases its electricity through a provider that supplies renewable energy to the national grid. With the help of Forest Row Energy, Nutley Hall have now installed solar PV on two of their buildings with one more to come in 2022.
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Power Partners
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Forest Row Energy was awarded an £11,000 grant by UK Power Networks to run an energy advice project from May 2019-Aug 2020. The project helped people throughout Wealden to save money on energy bills, become more energy efficient, switch to green energy contracts and claim energy related benefits.
We gave 1-2-1 advice and support to people in some of the most fuel poor areas of Wealden and trained key workers who can provide ongoing support to people who are likely to experience fuel poverty.
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We created a fuel poverty map to target the areas in Wealden most in need. We also produced a booklet that could help you save money, do your bit for the environment and keep warm.
Solar Power to the People
Following our award from the Marks and Spencer’s Community Energy Fund and further support from PowerVault and Low Carbon Across the South East (LoCASE) we have been able to put renewable energy at the heart of our community. As part of the project we have put in place solar power with battery storage at the Forest Row Community Centre.
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We are monitoring the amount of energy generated and money saved from the solar panels and battery and share the information with you so that you can see the savings that you could make in your home or business.
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In the first year of operation, the 3.85kwp solar PV installation produced 3,300kwh of electricity. The average household uses 3,500kwh per year and the PV installation that is in place at the community centre is the size of a larger domestic system.
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Solar at Seasons
Forest Row Energy were thrilled to work with The Seasons, the very much loved local organic store, to help them install solar PV.
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As well as supplying the village with healthy, sustainable produced food The Seasons also wanted to reduce its carbon emissions from its day to day operations. They became one of our corporate members and benefited from consultancy support to get solar PV installed in February 2019.
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The Seasons shop has now got a 5kwp solar installation in place - that's roughly the size of two small household systems. It is expected that the system will pay for itself in around 10 years and go on producing carbon free electricity for 25 years.
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Well done The Seasons! Its great to see a responsible businesses doing so well in our community.
Renewable Energy for Emerson College
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Forest Row Energy has completed a renewable energy feasibility study at Emerson College in Forest Row, funded through the Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF).
The study looked at the renewable energy and energy efficiency options that would work for the College and our community. Currently phase 1 of the project to install solar electricity to supply 20% of the College's electricity is being considered by the College.