SDCE was set up in early 2016, and officially registered in June 2016. We are a not for profit community benefit company with a great team of  directors, drawn from the local community.

In Autumn 2015, PL:21 Transition Initiative members, Katie Reville and Peter Crone, saw an opportunity to invest in the Portworthy community solar array. They successfully applied for the Community Energy Accelerator Grant from RegenSW and Devon County Council to fast track the creation of the new community energy company. 
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Over the next four months the team of directors emerged with a passion for promoting community owned renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions and addressing local sustainability challenges. SDCE is also a member of the South West Devon Community Energy Partnership, a network of local authorities and community energy groups working in partnership towards a sustainable future.

SDCE's aims are to:
  • Supply heat/electricity from renewable and low carbon sources;
  • Reduce fuel poverty and increasing the energy efficiency of buildings within the local community;
  • Generate income to support community organisations and projects that improve the sustainability of the Local Community, including through appropriate Community Supporting Organisations;
  • Provide funding for further community renewable and low carbon energy generation schemes;
  • Enable the local and wider community to share in the ownership of the renewable and low carbon electricity/heat generation projects;
  • Increase awareness and understanding of the benefits of renewable energy generation, local ownership of energy generation and energy efficiency.

Over the last four years there have been a number of challenges, namely the closure of the Feed in Tariff which has completely changed the landscape and we are now looking for different business models to make community energy work and for other ways to benefit their local community, including a housing project and climate action projects.

We have run our free and impartial energy advice service for three years and helped hundreds of people to make huge savings. Now we are using our experience to start up a new exciting project to help communities reduce their carbon footprints. We'll be running Net Zero Heroes in a number of towns and parishes around the South Hams, working with local parish councils and schools. 

SDCE is not an employer, we're run by a team of voluntary directors. We have lots of ideas for projects and each year we apply for funding to enable us to run these. We can then pay self-employed project workers to deliver the projects. We're delighted to have contributed towards the growing green economy by providing employment opportunities for local people, where no roles existed before.

If you have an idea for a new project, speak to us about whether we can help to facilitate that.

If you're interested in working with us please do get in touch.
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