At Good Energy we believe there is huge potential for a local, homegrown energy future. One organisation fulfilling that potential is Ouse Valley Energy Services Company (Ovesco Ltd). A group of Lewes residents formed Ovesco Ltd to deliver a range of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to the residents of the Ouse Valley and East Sussex. The latest project involves installing 544 photovoltaic panels on a local warehouse roof. Lewes is one of the sunniest regions in the United Kingdom. It’s hoped that the panels will generate 92,000 kilowatt hours of green electricity each year – enough to save more than 40 tonnes of CO2 annually.

The project is about much more than just installing solar panels. By offering share issues, Ovesco Ltd hopes to become Britain’s first community-owned solar power station. The vision is to develop locally owned renewable energy that not only reduces carbon emissions but also dependence on imported energy. To achieve this, Ovesco Ltd has entered into a partnership with local brewery Harveys, who own the site, and Southern Solar, the installer of the PV array.

Chris Rowland, OVESCO Ltd Director says,

‘It’s a brilliant project, and has been really exciting to work on. We have raised over £160,000 in investment up to now. We hope that by working with organisations like Good Energy we can inspire communities all over the country to get started on their own projects like this and hopefully provide a model that other communities can use.’

Harveys will use some of the electricity free of charge for its operations, and the exported electricity will be bought by Good Energy. Ovesco Ltd will receive the Feed-in Tariff, providing the income from which Ovesco Ltd plans to finance local community activities, such as energy advice and events. Income will also be used to administer these activities, pay interest to investors and repay investments on the project. The idea is to produce a highly reliable income stream from which interest can be paid to investors in addition to creating community benefits.

It’s a really exciting and innovative idea that supports the local generation of green electricity - homegrown energy in action. Good Energy is pleased to be sponsoring the launch event in Lewes tomorrow. The event, from 7-9 pm in Lewes Town Hall, is celebrating the first community share issue, with guests Huw Irranca-Davies (Shadow Energy Minister), Norman Baker (MP for Lewes) and Sara Parkin (Forum for the Future). The project resonates with our vision of a decentralised and democratic energy network for Britain; encouraging independent renewable generation has always been at the heart of what we do. We think it’s a fantastic project - Britain's first.... and hopefully just the start of many more to come!

If you would like to support the scheme and read more about the share offer click here