The Energy Learning Network (ELN) was launched in 2024 and aims to generate more community energy projects and increase the impact of those already up and running.

The network is a collaboration between climate solutions charity Ashden, the Centre for Sustainable Energy, and leading community energy bodies in every UK nation: Community Energy England, Community Energy Scotland, Community Energy Wales and Northern Ireland’s Action Renewables.

Since 2024, the network increased the collaboration between partners and between the community groups they support. It has stimulated a greater sharing of resources and skills, built connections, and developed mentoring and peer learning opportunities.

This page is about the work of CSE within the ELN. You’ll find more on the network itself, along with lots of useful resources for community energy groups, on the ELN page of the Ashden website.

Energy resilience

“We’re really excited to be part of the network”, said Megan Blyth, a project manager at CSE. “Community energy has a critical role to play in combatting both the climate crisis and fuel poverty. It’s something CSE has been supporting for a long time.”

Expanding the number and reach of these projects – the community-owned solar farms, community retrofit schemes and many other initiatives – will mean more resilience to energy shocks (like the one we’re currently experiencing), more benefits for local people, and lower bills.

CSE’s role

CSE’s role within the Energy Learning Network is three-fold:

1. Widening participation

This strand focuses on removing barriers to participation for people who are under-represented in community energy groups.

CSE is working with six community energy organisations, helping them widen participation in their projects bring a more diverse range of people into the design and delivery of their projects and into their internal operations. The groups are: Grand Union Community Energy, Dorset Community Energy, Croydon Community Energy, Cwm Arian Renewable Energy, South Seeds and South Uist Renewable Energy.

In March 2026 we published a toolkit for community energy groups to help them increase their impact through greater involvement of people from across their communities. The Widening Participation toolkit is also available in Welsh.

Find out more about our learnings from the toolkit in our launch webinar recording, and access the slides here.

2. Expanding the sector

This strand involves running a series of webinars and workshops for the wider Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector to promote community action on energy.

These webinars showcase community-level action and how to deliver impactful local energy projects. Additional support for those entering the community energy sector will help them develop key skills and knowledge to enact changes.

The webinars took place during 2025 and you can catch up with them by clicking on the links below:

• An introduction to community action on energy.
• Exploring funding initiatives for community energy.
• Making your community building energy efficient.
• Delivering energy advice in your community.
• Community energy and Muslim communities.
• Creating Community Sustainability Hubs.

3) Working with local councils

The final strand is working with parish, town and community councils to promote the value of community energy. Ten councils have been supported, with officers attending workshops that will enable them to engage positively with community energy groups in their areas, and how to make meaningful, local changes.

These sessions took place during 2024 and 2025. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about the support we provided.

The ELN is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund and is part of its £100m commitment to support communities to act on climate change.