Plymouth Energy Community

What Plymouth Energy Community does

Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) is a UK charity and social enterprise established in 2013 in Plymouth that operates a portfolio of community energy, fuel poverty and home retrofit services. Its three operating pillars are Future Fit (independent home retrofit advice and coordination, including a free Retrofit Home Visit and a £330 Future Home Survey), Solar (a community-owned renewable portfolio comprising 30 rooftop sites and a 4MW ground-mounted solar farm at Ernesettle, generating 4,139 MWh annually), and Energy Advice (free crisis and fuel poverty support that has reached 37,000+ households since inception). Sub-brands PEC Pals (volunteers), Solar Schools (with Earth Energy Education), and Solar Made Simple (paid advisory £125-£400) extend the offering into engagement, education and commercial advisory.

The business model layers four revenue streams: community share offers and Plymouth City Council loans funding the solar asset base (over £2.6m raised across 2014-16); grants from DESNZ, the South West Net Zero Hub, the National Lottery, Energy Saving Trust redress funds and others (e.g. £4m Future Fit, £1.4m LEAD project); corporate PPAs selling power to schools and community buildings at 57% below market average; and small paid advisory fees. The PEC family of entities (PEC Trust, Plymouth Energy Community Ltd, PEC Renewables Ltd, PEC Management Services Ltd, Ernesettle Community Solar, and PEC Homes Development Ltd) segregates charitable, asset-owning, management and housing-development functions under one cooperative umbrella.

Go-to-market is community-led and direct-to-consumer, combining a drop-in advice hub on Union Street, free home visits, frontline-worker referrals, digital eligibility tools, community events and paid Solar Made Simple advisory. Customers are primarily vulnerable and fuel-poor households and eligible homeowners; secondary customers are schools, community organisations and Plymouth City Council as a strategic delivery partner.

Name

Plymouth Energy Community

Legal name

PEC Trust

Website

https://plymouthenergycommunity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Plymouth Energy Community is a Plymouth-based UK charity and social enterprise, founded in 2013, that delivers independent home retrofit advice, community-owned solar assets, and free fuel poverty support to vulnerable and fuel-poor households across Plymouth and the wider Devon/Cornwall region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Energy Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar PV Power Plant EPC (Utility-Scale) (EUAEAAAG), Civil & Site Works EPC (Earthworks, Roads, Drainage, Foundations) (EUAEADAA)

Keywords

• Community energy services
• Home retrofit advice
• Solar energy generation
• Fuel poverty support
• Energy efficiency upgrades

Headquarters

HQ city

Plymouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Community Share Offers: Community shares sold to individuals and organizations for investment in solar installations. Investors become members of PEC Renewables and gain governance rights.
2. Community-Owned Renewables Revenue: Revenue generated from community-owned solar installations through power purchase agreements with schools and community buildings. Profits reinvested into community services.
3. Grant-Funded Services: Government and lottery funding for energy advice, home upgrades, and retrofit services distributed to eligible households.
4. Professional Advisory Services: Fee-based services including Future Home Survey (£330) and Solar Made Simple design and installer matching services (£250-400).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

PEC is a Plymouth-based charity and social enterprise that delivers free energy advice to fuel-poor households, home retrofit services through its Future Fit programme (insulation, solar, heat pumps), and operates a community-owned renewable energy portfolio spanning 30 rooftop solar sites and a 4MW ground-mounted solar farm at Ernesettle. The organisation finances its solar installations via community share offers, reinvests profits from energy generation into local fuel poverty services, and partners with Plymouth City Council to administer government retrofit grants.

Product overview

Plymouth Energy Community (PEC) is a charity and social enterprise operating a portfolio of interconnected products and services centered on community energy and home retrofit. The core offerings include Future Fit (home retrofit advice and coordination), Solar (community-owned renewable energy including rooftop sites and the Ernesettle solar farm), and Energy Advice (free support for fuel poverty). These are supported by specific service modules including free Retrofit Home Visits, paid Future Home Surveys (£330), and Solar Made Simple (free initial advice with paid design and installer matching). The organization also operates PEC Pals (volunteer programme) and manages grant schemes including Warm Homes Local Grant and Boiler Upgrade Scheme. The PEC family structure includes PEC Trust (parent charity), PEC Renewables Ltd (managing renewable assets), and PEC Homes (housing initiatives).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Future Fit: Home retrofit service providing trusted, knowledgeable, independent advice and practical support to help make homes warmer, healthier, more comfortable and more affordable to run. Includes services for insulation, solar, and low carbon heating.
• PEC Pals

Products and services

• Future Fit Home retrofit service of Plymouth Energy Community providing trusted, independent advice and practical support to help Plymouth residents make homes warmer, healthier, more comfortable and affordable to run through upgrades like insulation, solar and low carbon heating.
• Solar (PEC Renewables) Community-owned solar energy portfolio including 30 rooftop solar sites across Plymouth and a 4MW ground-mounted solar farm in Ernesettle, generating 4,139MWh annually with nearly one-fifth of Plymouth's solar generation capacity in community ownership.
• Energy Advice (Tackling Fuel Poverty) Free energy advice service delivered by the Energy Advice Team providing practical support to Plymouth residents struggling to keep homes warm and manage energy costs, including crisis support, benefits advice, supplier mediation, and bill reductions.
• Retrofit Home Visit Free initial home visit service where Retrofit Advisors visit residents to understand their property, discuss goals, and guide them toward the best smart upgrades for their home, budget and future.
• Future Home Survey Detailed home assessment providing a bespoke upgrade plan prepared by a qualified Retrofit Assessor and Retrofit Advisor, with clear recommendations, estimated costs and a phased route map for improving the home over time. Priced at £330.
• Solar Made Simple Service providing clear, trusted, independent expert advice to help homeowners understand if their home could benefit from solar PV, including free initial advice call, bespoke solar design, and installer matching and support throughout the installation process.
• Solar Schools Partnership with Earth Energy Education offering local primary schools workshops and hands-on solar experience at Ernesettle, with solar installations on school rooftops enabling schools to purchase power at rates 57% lower than market average.
• Ernesettle Solar Farm 4MW ground-mounted solar array on 18 acres of derelict land, built using £1m in community shares in 2016, providing community-owned renewable energy with profits reinvested into local initiatives.
• Warm Home Discount Support Assistance helping eligible residents access the Warm Home Discount scheme (£140 from electricity suppliers) for those receiving means-tested benefits or with household income below £16,190.

Quantifiable outcome

• Households feeling confident about improving home energy efficiency rose from 28% to 88% after advice visit
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plymouth City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Key partner on Future Fit retrofit programme (£4m government funding), Chelson Meadow solar farm development, Plan for Homes, Climate Emergency Action Plan, and LEAD project consortium.
• 361 Energy CICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Far South West Retrofit Consortium Local Energy Advice Demonstrator (LEAD) project covering North Devon and Torridge area. Project delivered retrofit advice to nearly 3,000 households.
• ECOE AdvicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Far South West Retrofit Consortium LEAD project covering Exeter, Torbay and mid/east Devon area.
• Community Energy PluscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Far South West Retrofit Consortium LEAD project covering Cornwall and Isles of Scilly area.
• South Dartmoor Community EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Far South West Retrofit Consortium LEAD project covering South Hams area.
• Tamar Energy CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Far South West Retrofit Consortium LEAD project covering Tavistock and West Devon area.
• Devon County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Far South West Retrofit Consortium LEAD project alongside Plymouth City Council and six community energy organisations.
• Earth Energy EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Solar Schools programme offering workshops and hands-on solar experiences at Ernesettle for local primary schools.
• Art and Energy CICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership on creative climate projects including award-winning Moths to a Flame installation exhibited at COP26, Sunlight Gathering solar artwork, and youth workshops.
• FotonowminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise partner for youth climate action workshops for 11-17 year olds exploring climate future and self-care.
• Cancer ChampionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to review leaflets and messaging for inclusive, practical resources for people living with cancer.
• Creative Roots CICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for community pebble painting workshops creating artwork distributed across city with messages of hope.
• ALOEN (Agence locale de l'énergie et du climat Bretagne Sud)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in SunPeople project representing Southern Brittany. Partners with Plymouth City Council and PEC for cross-border heat decarbonisation initiative.
• Aezeo SARLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench partner in SunPeople project for cross-border collaboration on sustainable heat energy service development.
• Plymouth City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK partner in SunPeople project alongside PEC, exploring heat pump and solar combinations for residential and commercial premises.
• Four Greens Community TrustminorOthersLand owner at Ernesettle site where community solar array is located. Partnership enables community-owned renewable energy on trust land.
• NaturesaveminorOthersEthical insurer providing thermal bee hives at Ernesettle solar site as part of Bee Solar project celebrating community energy.
• Carbon TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs Innovate UK partner, published guidance on how local authorities can support community energy projects to accelerate net zero progress.
• Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Home Safety Checks where PEC referrals result in free smoke detector installations for vulnerable residents.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Energy Saving Trust: UK-wide organisation providing energy efficiency advice, retrofit programme delivery, and home upgrade guidance. A broad incumbent operating in overlapping home energy advice and retrofit space but at national scale rather than community-led.
• National Energy Action (NEA): UK's leading fuel poverty charity providing energy advice, training, and policy advocacy nationally. A larger, broader incumbent operating in PEC's primary fuel poverty and energy advice space with wider UK scope.

Direct peers

• Community Energy Plus: Cornwall-based community energy charity delivering home energy advice, retrofit services, and tackling fuel poverty. Direct peer covering an adjacent region and partner of PEC in the Far South West Retrofit Consortium.
• Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE): Bristol-based charity providing independent energy advice, community energy support, and fuel poverty services. Strong peer given overlapping mission areas in home energy advice, retrofit coordination, and public-sector programme delivery.
• Repowering London: London-based community energy charity developing community-owned solar projects on social housing rooftops, with profits going back to local communities. Closely comparable mission, structure, and community-share funded model.
• Severn Wye Energy Agency: Gloucestershire-based charity delivering community energy programmes, energy advice, and fuel poverty services across the West of England/Wales border region. Highly comparable to PEC's dual focus on community renewables and fuel poverty advice.
• Low Carbon Hub: Oxfordshire-based community benefit society developing community-owned solar and renewable energy projects, funded by community share offers. Operates the same model of community solar ownership with reinvested profits as Plymouth Energy Community.
• Bristol Energy Cooperative: UK community energy cooperative based in Bristol that owns community solar and renewable assets through community share offers and reinvests profits locally. Closely comparable in structure, governance, and revenue model to Plymouth Energy Community.
• 361 Energy CIC: North Devon/Torridge community energy organisation and PEC's partner in the Far South West Retrofit Consortium LEAD project. Directly comparable in mission, services, and consortium delivery model.
• Carbon Co-op: Manchester-based community energy cooperative delivering community-owned renewable projects, energy services, and member-led governance. Directly comparable to PEC as a UK community energy social enterprise running similar energy advice and decarbonisation services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PlymouthEnergyCommunity
• Instagraminstagram.com/pecfuturefit
• Xx.com/plymenergycom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plymouth-energy-community

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plymouth Energy Community