• Work in the building industry and interested in retrofit projects?

    Do you have a background in the building industry? If so, would you like to train and become a Retrofit Coordinator? Cosy Homes Oxfordshire is a partnership project being delivered by Low Carbon Hub, RetrofitWorks and the National Energy Foundation to help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes. It’s a scheme which is new…
    10 December 2019
  • An aerial view of the Wood Centre for Innovation, a 3D illustration.

    We’ve moved office

    Over the past eight years, the Low Carbon Hub has more than trebled in size. At its smallest, our team consisted of 3 members of staff and we have grown to our current number of 16! We have also increased the number of our investor members to over 1000, a number which we hope will…
    26 November 2019
  • Row of buildings on Oxford's Broad Street

    The role of home energy efficiency in our climate emergency

    Home energy consumption accounts for around 30% of total energy used in the UK, and around 20% of our total carbon emissions. According to Ofgem, the average UK home with a medium energy consumption uses 12,000 kWh of gas per year and 3,100 kWh of electricity per year. That represents total carbon emissions of 3,067kg…
    25 November 2019
  • The 29 schools have a total annual generation of 1,362,415 kWh. This is equivalent to 15 million kettles being boiled, 45.5 slices of toast being made, 12 million hours of TV being watched, or 7,500 fridges being powered for a year.

    Our 29 solar schools – an update

    Over the past eight years, the Low Carbon Hub has partnered with 29 schools to install 5,647 solar PV panels. Our Solar Schools service offers schools a comprehensive solar installation service to power your schools with community-owned, discounted green electricity. Schools signing up for a free solar rooftop survey can apply for a grant to…
    19 November 2019
  • Solar panels on the rooftop of CTG in Banbury, owned and managed by Low Carbon Hub

    CTG solar roof expansion

    In November 2019 we installed an extension to our existing solar project on the roof of UTC Aerospace Systems CTG in Banbury, Oxfordshire. The background This solar roof array was already our largest rooftop solar install, and thought to be the UK’s largest community-owned rooftop solar array. When first installed, there were 2590 solar pv…
    18 November 2019
  • Sandford Hydro

    MSc Students visit Sandford Hydro

    On 17 October a group of Oxford University master’s students visited Sandford Hydro as part of their Energy Systems course. The group received a tour from Harry Orchard, our Operations and Maintenance Assistant, and were shown the inner workings of the electric hydro plant. They went inside the control room where it’s possible to see the overview…
    31 October 2019
  • Charlie Luxton presents at the Low Carbon Hub Inspired by Communities event 2019

    Inspired by Communities event: a roundup

    We would like to say a massive thank you to all who came to the ‘Inspired by Communities’ event prior to the Low Carbon Hub Joint AGM on 7 October and who helped to make it such a genuinely inspiring experience. The room at the Town Hall was full with many of our CIC Community…
    16 October 2019
  • Cosy Homes Oxfordshire logo

    Do you know a trusted building professional based in Oxfordshire?

    Cosy Homes Oxfordshire, a home retrofit service, has recently launched and we are seeking to register new building contractors (builders, architects, energy assessors, surveyors, and more) and Retrofit Coordinators to undertake energy efficiency improvement work across Oxfordshire. If you work within the construction industry or building trades, or know someone who does, then encourage them…
    19 August 2019
  • Lines of light on a dark St Aldates

    Results of our 2019 annual survey

    For the third year in a row, we are thrilled to report that most people who responded to our annual ‘How are we doing? survey find us to be committed to the creation of a low carbon, locally-owned renewable energy system and trust in our expertise.  Every year we ask our members, supporters, community groups,…
    24 June 2019
  • LEO local energy oxfordshire

    £40m project to lead energy innovation in Oxfordshire launches

    We are really excited to announce the launch of Project LEO or ‘Local Energy Oxfordshire’ – a £40m three-year collaborative project that will change the energy system as we know it. The project has been awarded £13.8m from the UK Government Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, managed by Innovate UK, and will be supported by £26m…
    3 April 2019
  • Coop midcounties. Regional communities. Building strong local communities.

    Three communities donate funding from carrier bag charges to Low Carbon Hub

    We were thrilled to hear that three communities in Oxfordshire offered to combine the funding raised through the carrier bag charge in their local Co-ops and donate it to our Community Benefit Fund.  Many thanks to communities involved in Banbury, Central Oxford and Kidlington & North West Oxfordshire for this donation of just over £9,000.  The…
    22 March 2019