When it comes to solar panels, you’ve probably heard the pitch before: save money, cut carbon, future-proof your business. And it’s all true. But not all solar providers are the same. We install, fund, and manage rooftop solar for Oxfordshire businesses – at no cost to you. You get discounted, clean electricity. Oxfordshire communities get the benefit.

Funding is now available via Oxfordshire County Council through the Warm Homes: Local Grant. It is designed to provide fully funded energy efficiency upgrades for homeowners and private tenants on a low household income and at risk of fuel poverty. Eligibility You may qualify for the funding if the following statements apply to you.  And…

Upskilling minibus drivers with the gold standard of training. First and Last Mile CIC were awarded a grant of £500 from our Community Grant Fund towards the cost of refreshed teacher training for Minibus driving. The challenge First and Last Mile CIC, a community transport group in West Oxfordshire, provides the gold-standard CTA MiDAS (Minibus…

A digital display helps inform visitors at community-owned hydro. West Oxford Community Renewables (WoCORE) received a grant of £500 from Low Carbon Hub’s Community Grant Fund to install a digital display and new signage at this landmark community hydro in central Oxford. The challenge Osney Lock Hydro is a popular site for learning about renewable…

Creating information materials to engage young people on climate action and community energy. Westmill Sustainable Energy Trust (WeSET) received a grant of £1,500 from Low Carbon Hub’s Community Grant Fund to help engage young people in renewable energy and climate action. The challenge With increasing events and school visits, the WeSET education officer needed engaging,…

What’s Happening at Salt Cross? Many local residents will be aware that Salt Cross is a proposed garden village, consisting of 2,200 homes and employment space, and located north of the A40 across from Eynsham. To guide this major development, West Oxfordshire District Council created a strong and ambitious planning policy, known as Policy 2…

Our Community Action Plan for Zero-Carbon Energy (CAPZero) is the first of its kind in the UK. It models how a cluster of communities in West Oxfordshire can create a zero-carbon energy system in their local area, in a way that benefits everyone. It is a plan developed by community representatives together with energy system…

In a significant step forward, the developers of the proposed Botley West Solar Farm have more than doubled their community benefit funding, from £200,000 a year to £440,000 per year. This increase follows sustained local pressure, vocal advocacy and the success of our Make Botley West Fair campaign. While it is a clear improvement on…

It takes commitment, creativity, and hard work to run a thriving community group, but it’s inspiring and rewarding to witness the breadth of exciting events and programmes created by our community groups to reduce the effects of climate change. Low Carbon Hub’s vibrant community groups are at the heart of our work, and we are…

Upgrades to our pioneering Sandford Hydro installation have increased its generation by over 17% in 2024/25. To address reduced generation during periods of low river flow when the screws cannot operate, we have covered the whole south-facing part of the plant in solar PV panels. This ensures the site can generate clean energy even when…

If we’re serious about cutting carbon emissions from our homes, we need a clear plan for building better. That means well-insulated houses that use clean energy – without being ridiculously expensive or difficult to build. There are different ways to set standards for this, but not all of them work well in the real world.

Community groups are taking the lead by putting people at the heart of their vision for a just energy transition, exploring options to develop community scale energy projects that benefit everyone in their area. This year community energy has been a particular focus for four of our community groups who have successfully applied for grant…