• Introducing the Grid Edge Coordinator (GEC) role

    Achieving a just transition to a net zero energy system will look different from one street to the next. Helping communities to nimbly overcome barriers and patiently untangle the complexity of new technologies and tariffs is the job of the Grid Edge Coordinator. This blog post looks at the background to this newly created role…
    4 October 2024
  • CAPZero on the radio!

    Mim Saxl, Net Zero Communities Manager at Low Carbon Hub and Sarah Couch of Eynsham community group GreenTEA recently joined Witney Radio’s Grant Grindley to talk about our Community Action Plan for Zero-Carbon Energy (CAPZero).  You can hear the half hour interview, and learn all about our ground-breaking project on WRFM’s website here.
    11 September 2024
  • Sustainable homes and an innovative microgrid in action

    Hook Norton Community Land Trust (a Low Carbon Hub Community Group Member) have developed a community-led housing project that is in the process of building affordable, energy efficient homes for local people in the Oxfordshire village of Hook Norton. The team are currently looking to raise £500,000 through a community share raise to complete the…
    26 June 2024
  • Heat Pump Summit 2024

    The Low Carbon Hub team recently had the opportunity to take part in the inaugural Heat Pump Summit 2024 at the Blavatnik School of Government in Oxford, which was truly inspiring. This gathering was a valuable experience, allowing us to engage with the latest developments in heat pump technology sector.  
    18 April 2024
  • Community Benefit and large-scale ground mount solar PV 

    To achieve our net zero goals, we need to prioritise a diverse mix of renewable energy sources to revolutionise our energy landscape.  Key components of this transition include a substantial increase in wind power capacity, both onshore and offshore. Additionally, solar energy will play a pivotal role, in the form on rooftop and large-scale ground…
    22 February 2024
  • What Project LEO has meant for Low Carbon Hub

    Looking back on the achievements of the groundbreaking Project LEO initiative that ended in March 2023, Low Carbon Hub CEO, Barbara Hammond said: Nothing like this has been done in the UK before; everyone’s been learning, and it has been a programme that gives us enormous hope for the future. We’ve demonstrated a way forward…
    6 December 2023
  • Reflections on OxFutures: delivering low carbon growth through collaboration

    In March 2023 the £4.2M OxFutures project came to an end.  It delivered on its ambition to grow Oxfordshire’s low carbon economy and has created a significant legacy. Alison Grunewald reflects on the importance of collaboration in achieving such a successful outcome. It takes two to tango, but OxFutures choreographed a dance of six partners,…
    11 July 2023
  • There’s only one Low Carbon Hub!

    Change is afoot at Low Carbon Hub. As many of our supporters know, we have had a somewhat complicated double legal structure. But over the past few months our staff and board, with support from our members, have been working to simplify things. Previously Low Carbon Hub had operated as two separate organisations working in…
    26 June 2023
  • How does energy get to our homes?

    In our everyday lives, we rely on energy, yet we often have limited knowledge of how it enters our homes, powers our appliances, and how we pay for it. So how does energy get to our homes? Think of it as a giant water supply system: Power plants are like water treatment plants that generate…
    2 June 2023
  • Exploring the Key Messages from our Smart and Fair Neighbourhood trials Report

    As the ambitious and pioneering Project LEO drew to a close earlier this year, we have produced a report that looked at the Smart Fair Neighbourhood trials that took place over the term of Project LEO that outlined what was tested and achieved through each of the six local trials. The D3.10 Report is a…
    5 May 2023
  • End of Project LEO celebrations!

    Project LEO, a unique and ambitious four-year collaborative innovation programme, celebrated the end of the project and the launch of its final report.  Project LEO, which stands for Local Energy Oxfordshire, was a multi-million-pound initiative that aimed to trial how we can create a  greener, more flexible and fair electricity system not just in Oxfordshire…
    1 March 2023
  • A People-Powered Transition: Why Community Energy Matters in Chris Skidmore’s Net Zero Review

    We take a look at Chris Skidmore’s Mission Zero report and the importance of community energy. In January, Chris Skidmore released his anticipated net-zero review: Mission Zero. The report calls for accelerated climate action from the UK Government. The Net Zero Review has travelled to all four nations of the UK, received 1800+ responses to…
    22 February 2023