By joining BEC you’ll be supporting a local community-owned project  – and helping install lots more renewable energy!

We rent roof-space, install solar panels and offer our landlords predictably-priced electricity. Typically we’re 30-40% less than business electricity prices.

We work in-person and online to help schools reduce energy usage, educate the kids about energy – and save carbon.

Total investment raised in the community (£)

Large-scale solar projects in and around Brighton & Hove

Members of Brighton Energy Co-op - and rising!

Ethical Investments not fossil fuel

Joining Brighton Energy Co-op

Joining BEC means you’ll be supporting a positive local community effort to build clean renewable energy in Sussex.

We have exciting new community solar projects starting in the pipeline; the maximum investment is £100,000 and the minimum is £300. For more details on investing in Brighton Energy Co-operative and supporting our work see here.

Clean Business Electricity at a Decent Price

Your roof is an invaluable resource to reduce carbon and bolster your pocket.

We rent your roof space and then offer you cheap electricity from the solar panels overhead.

This can save your business thousands of pounds a year on electricity bills, just as we do with our fifty current partners – and a large chunk of your energy goes carbon-free.

We also run a grant scheme to fund 25% of the cost of solar panels for small businesses.

Latest News

We are actively involved in developing new community-owned solar projects, electric vehicle charge points as well as administering our solar grant scheme for the EU. Find out more about what we’re up to in our Latest News

Hove Park Upper & Lower Schools, Brighton

Community Investment in Cleaner Energy

We raise money via investment from the wider community. By pooling resources it’s possible to raise large amounts of cash – other UK community energy organisations have raised as much as £20m of community investment for community energy projects in their locales.

To raise money and install solar panels we sell shares in Brighton Energy Co-op, a form of co-operative known as a Community Benefit Society (CBS). Shareholders become members of BEC. A CBS is radically different from a normal company – each member in the society has one vote, for example (regardless of the amount invested) and the maximum investment is £100,000.

Cost Savings to Schools and Business Customers

Our solar energy systems provide electricity at a reasonable price to local businesses and schools, helping them deal with unpredictable energy prices – and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. We also run local programs to educate school kids on greener energy and our solar projects. By switching their electricity supply to renewable sources, our partners cut their energy costs and keep emissions rates down.

What is the advantage of Community energy?

As local economy initiatives, community energy is a bright choice for people to do something practical to deal with the climate crisis. They create local jobs and keep local control over clean energy development and often provide community benefits. Since clean power projects can be complex, community energy groups are also often hubs for best practice about cleaner energy development. Community Energy groups are often early adopters of emerging business models around renewable electricity, electric vehicles, battery storage and energy resilience.

Is Community Solar a good idea?

Community solar is an enterprising part of the energy sector, where the local community gets involved in often innovative energy programs. It forms an energy community around a local renewable energy program, bringing local people together around an opportunity to invest in a positive local initiative.

Cleaner electricity from renewable energy resources helps deal with climate change – and reduces electricity bills. Solar development. And by taking energy customers partially off the electric grid we mitigate against power outages, building a more resilient energy system.

Community Investment in Brighton Solar
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