Bringing people-powered renewable energy to schools
Success Story: Greater Manchester Community Renewables
8 SCHOOLS FUNDED TO INSTALL SOLAR PV
360 TONNES CO2e SAVED THROUGH RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION
£160,000 ELECTRICITY SAVINGS FOR PROJECT PARTNERS
Greater Manchester Community Renewables (GMCR) is a Community Benefit Society set up in 2015 by a group of passionate volunteers looking to increase community-owned renewable energy sources in the city region.
The organisation offers a comprehensive end-to-end service from project identification to fundraising, installation, monitoring and maintenance.
GMCR has become particularly successful working with local schools – so far raising £700,000 in community shares to fund solar PV arrays on eight primary schools.
The partner schools receive discounted solar power to reduce their overheads, while members of the community who buy shares get a stake in their local energy system as well as annual interest payments. Any surplus profits go to a community fund to catalyse further climate action.
To-date the solar arrays installed by GMCR have collectively saved partners £160,000 on their energy bills, as well as generating a £40,000 community fund. At the same time, they have generated enough electricity to make 85 million cups of tea and prevent 640 tonnes of carbon.
“As well as helping our partners to save money and cut carbon, we also think it’s important to give people the opportunity to have a stake in their local energy system.”
“We’re really looking forward to working with new partners to bring the benefits of community-owned energy to schools and community centres in Manchester.”
Ali Abbas, Director of GMCR