Community energy co-operatives are a model for communities to fund and manage energy initiatives. Co-operatives are owned and controlled by their members, meaning local people have more say in how they are run and where profits are invested to create local benefits.

Unfortunately, some of the UK’s diverse communities are under-represented within the community energy sector. Working with Repowering London and Dr Anna Rebmann from King’s College London, the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) researched what causes some groups to be excluded from the sector and how to improve inclusivity so more people have an opportunity to own local energy projects that shape their community.

Key to this research was recruiting two community researchers within diverse areas of London: North Kensington and Newham. Through them, we gained valuable insight from their wider communities and co-designed recommendations for making community energy co-operative membership work better for all.

This project was funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust’s Connect Fund.

Why do we need inclusive community energy co-operatives?

Community energy co-operatives are a powerful way for individuals and communities to participate in, and benefit from, the low-carbon transition.

Members of community energy projects can gain access to cheap green energy, new skills and relationships. These impacts can also be amplified by investing profits into local communities and generating a greater capacity to advocate for energy system change.

We wanted to find out how to make community energy co-operatives attractive to more people. This could help ensure groups already at risk of being marginalised in the current energy system – like women and people of colour – can share more equally in the benefits of the low-carbon transition.

Using participatory research

Participatory research is all about doing research with, rather than on, the subjects of your work.

Recruiting two community researchers – Nasri and Ruth – was key to our approach. Already embedded in Newham and North Kensington communities, they helped us to access richer insights and maximise the impact of our research once the project was completed.

CSE provided training in participatory research methods to Nasri and Ruth and, alongside the project team, supported them in designing a research plan. There were two main phases:

• Phase one involved engaging broadly with communities in Newham and North Kensington, and members of existing energy co-operatives, using postcards, interviews and focus groups. We wanted to find out what was working well – and less well – with how people engaged with their communities or co-operatives.

• Phase two involved running two co-design workshops in each area. We invited community members from groups currently under-represented within community energy co-operatives. These sessions focused on working collaboratively to design ‘membership journeys’: how participants felt they could participate in co-operatives in future.

Using our results to improve inclusivity

Evidence collected through the research highlighted five opportunities for more inclusive community energy co-operatives.

1. Raising awareness comes first – Most research participants had a limited understanding of co-operatives. There is a pressing need for better communication of the rich economic, social and environmental potential of co-operative models, and better incorporation of these models within existing social movements.

• Investment follows membership – Investing time can help build confidence for making financial investments in a co-operative, especially for those unfamiliar with the sector. Other strategies for supporting investment included different payment options (instalments, friendly apps, in groups) and considered language.

• Membership as volunteering – If members are investing time, this process needs to be rewarding. Participants highlighted the importance of learning new skills, accessible opportunities and nurturing a sense of belonging.

• Creating energy-themed benefits – Energy advice can also help co-operatives provide value for members. This could be provided through WhatsApp groups for tips, advice for applying for grants, or training courses.

• Recruiting members through research – Paid research opportunities can be an efficient way to reach new audiences. Energised by their experiences during the research sessions, most of our co-designers expressed a desire to join their local co-op.

Support for other community co-operatives

Although the insights from our project may be applicable in other areas, further research in different locations will help to uncover learnings that reflect local needs and priorities. CSE and our project partners have designed a toolkit to support others involved in community energy to run similar research. Ruth, one of the community researchers on the project says:

Just give it a go! You learn so much by doing it… it’s amazing what a massive resource it is. The rich amount of insights and ideas we got from the people was amazing, it was really worth it.

The toolkit provides further detail on:

• Our process for running participatory research and co-design.
• Full details of the findings from the project.
• Some resources that we found useful.