Bath & West Community Energy

What Bath & West Community Energy does

Bath & West Community Energy (BWCE) is a community benefit society registered with the UK Financial Conduct Authority (registration number 30960R) and domiciled in Bath, England. Founded in 2010, BWCE develops, owns, and operates community-funded renewable energy projects — principally rooftop solar PV systems (39 installations, predominantly on schools and community buildings), ground-mounted solar arrays (7 sites), and one hydro scheme — across Bath & North East Somerset and surrounding areas in the West of England. The portfolio totals 16.54 MW of installed capacity, equivalent to the annual electricity demand of approximately 6,000 homes, and reduces CO2 emissions by an estimated 3,300 tonnes per year. Since inception the organisation has raised £24.7 million, comprising £14.7 million in community shares and bonds from individual investor-members and £10 million in commercial loans.

In 2023, BWCE extended its remit beyond generation by launching a Home Energy service line that delivers independent domestic retrofit advisory services to local residents. Offerings include Home Energy Efficiency Plans (HEEPs) delivered with Retrofit West, Futureproof Full Home Retrofit Surveys delivered with the Centre for Sustainable Energy, a Listed Building Champion Survey targeting the ~10,000 listed buildings in B&NES, Heat Pump Assessments, and the Green Open Homes programme. Pricing is pay-as-you-go for individual surveys (with up to 80% discount vouchers via Retrofit West) and the service is delivered by an in-house team of assessors supported by Heat Pump Champions volunteers.

The organisation is governed as a community benefit society, with members democratically electing six non-executive directors. Surplus from renewable generation is recycled through the BWCE Fund, which has awarded 119 grants totalling over £470,000 to 64 community organisations since 2015, primarily for carbon-reduction and fuel-poverty initiatives. BWCE currently employs 34 staff and operates from a registered office at 12 Riverside Court, Lower Bristol Road, Bath. Investment products are distributed through the Ethex and Abundance Investment platforms; energy advisory services are distributed directly to households and via council and academic partnerships. A planned 'Local Supply' offering is flagged on the company roadmap, which would enable direct sale of locally generated electricity to local consumers.

Name

Bath & West Community Energy

Legal name

Bath and West Community Energy Limited

Website

https://bwce.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bath & West Community Energy is a Bath-based community benefit society that develops and operates community-funded solar and hydro projects across the West of England, and provides independent home energy assessment and retrofit advisory services to local residents and community organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Renewable Energy

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991)

akta.pro primary industry

Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Energy Efficiency & Weatherization Retrofit (HSAPAEAF)

Keywords

• Community renewable energy
• Home energy retrofit
• Community solar projects
• Heat pump assessments
• Community benefit society

Headquarters

HQ city

Bath

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Community Investment Products: Raising capital through community shares and bonds from local members. Returns are paid to investors while surplus is reinvested in community projects.
2. Renewable Energy Generation: Generating electricity from solar PV systems (rooftop and ground mount) and hydro schemes. Energy is sold to the grid or potentially to local consumers in the future.
3. Home Energy Services: Providing home energy assessments, surveys, and retrofit planning services to homeowners in Bath & North East Somerset. Services include HEEPs, Futureproof surveys, Listed Building assessments, and heat pump assessments.
4. Community Fund Grants: Donating surplus income to support community action on carbon reduction and fuel poverty. Funded by surplus from renewable energy operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bath & West Community Energy develops, funds and operates community-owned renewable energy projects (rooftop solar PV, ground-mounted solar arrays and a hydro scheme) in Bath, North East Somerset, Wiltshire and the South West of England, and delivers independent home energy retrofit advisory services including HEEPs, Futureproof surveys, Listed Building surveys and heat pump assessments to local homeowners. It also reinvests surplus income into a community benefit fund that awards grants to local organisations tackling carbon reduction and fuel poverty.

Product overview

Bath & West Community Energy operates as a not-for-profit community benefit society offering two interconnected programme areas: (1) Community Renewables — a portfolio of 47 renewable energy projects (39 rooftop solar PV systems, 7 ground-mounted solar arrays, and 1 hydro scheme) with 16.54 MW total capacity, developed through community investment; and (2) Home Energy — an independent advice and support hub for home energy retrofit, comprising distinct survey services (Home Energy Efficiency Plans in partnership with Retrofit West, Futureproof Full Home Retrofit Surveys with the Centre for Sustainable Energy, Listed Building Champion Surveys for heritage homes in partnership with BANES Council), Heat Pump Assessments, the Green Open Homes events programme, and the Home Energy Neighbourhoods discounted assessment scheme. A third pillar is the BWCE Fund, which reinvests surplus income from renewable energy generation into community grants for carbon reduction and fuel poverty projects. A planned Local Supply service will enable direct sale of locally generated power to local consumers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Home Energy Efficiency Plan (HEEP) Cost-effective in-house energy advice and tailored report recommending the best energy efficiency options for a home, delivered in partnership with Retrofit West. Includes a consultation with a surveyor, personalised recommendations, a 20-page detailed report and a follow-up support call.
• Futureproof Full Home Retrofit Survey & Report Comprehensive guidance with a full measured survey, multiple retrofit scenarios, detailed report and a debrief session, offered in partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Energy's Futureproof scheme. Designed for larger projects and eco-renovations.
• Listed Building Champion Survey Expert guidance on making listed homes more energy efficient and which measures are most likely to receive Listed Building Consent, offered in partnership with Bath and North East Somerset Council as part of the Green Heritage Homes project for the approximately 10,000 listed buildings in B&NES.
• Heat Pump Assessments Independent assessments to help homeowners decide whether a heat pump is suitable for their home, covering suitability, insulation improvements, historic homes, controls, time-of-day tariffs, installation costs and how to obtain quotes.
• Heat Pump Support Programme A project supporting the local heat pump market by training assessors to provide independent heat pump assessments, recruiting Heat Pump Champions to dispel myths and engaging with local installers. Includes webinars, 'An evening with a heat pump' events and heat pump home visits as part of NESTA's 'Visit a Heat Pump' scheme.
• Green Open Homes B&NES Open homes events providing opportunities to visit local energy-efficient homes and learn directly from those who have already completed low energy retrofit. Events have been held in Pensford, Peasedown, Radstock and Bath.
• Community Renewables (Rooftop and Ground-Mount Solar, Hydro) Development of renewable energy projects in Bath and the surrounding area funded through investment from members, comprising 39 rooftop solar PV systems, 7 ground-mounted solar arrays and 1 hydro scheme with 16.54 MW total generating capacity.
• BWCE Fund (Community Benefit Fund) Surplus income from renewable energy projects is reinvested into a community fund supporting local projects that reduce carbon emissions and address fuel poverty. Since 2015 the fund has awarded 119 grants to 64 community organisations totalling approximately £470,000.
• Home Energy Neighbourhoods Discounted home energy assessment programme for neighbours who host a group get-together to share retrofit findings and help others take their first steps. Residents in Bath & North East Somerset can access 80% discount vouchers from Retrofit West on home energy surveys.
• Community Share Offers and Bonds Investment products offered to community members to finance community renewable energy projects, distributed directly and through Ethex and Abundance Investment platforms. £14.7 million raised through shares and bonds since 2010.

Quantifiable outcome

• Power equivalent to 6,000 homes generated annually from 16.54 MW capacity
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bright RenewablescoreTechnology or IntegrationCommunity owned asset manager with 83MW of renewable electricity capacity under management. BWCE is one of Bright Renewables' founding members and owners. Manages BWCE's renewable energy projects once installed, ensuring regular maintenance and efficient operation.
• External ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpecialist support services provider for renewable energy sector. Provides BWCE with accounting, payroll and HR support services.
• EmpoweredcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZero-carbon consultancy committed to development of community energy projects, donating 5% of profits to BWCE. Provides BWCE with renewable energy project development services with staff working as part of the BWCE team.
• Neville RegistrarssupportingTechnology or IntegrationShare registration services provider. Manages BWCE's share register and bond register for bonds issued in 2016.
• Retrofit WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for delivery of Home Energy Efficiency Plans (HEEP). Provides discount vouchers covering up to 80% of survey costs for B&NES residents.
• Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Futureproof Full Home Retrofit Survey scheme. Also provides energy efficiency training and advice resources for community organizations and residents.
• Community Energy EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing community energy. BWCE partners for Community Energy Fortnight events and shares best practices.
• Bath and North East Somerset CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Listed Building Champion Survey program as part of Green Heritage Homes project. Also partner for Community Energy Network initiative.
• Bath UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Energy Network, providing academic expertise and resources for energy efficiency initiatives.
• Community Wellbeing HubsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Community Energy Network supporting Energy Champions program for B&NES residents.
• Centre for Sustainable EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with BANES and Wiltshire Councils for community renewable energy exploration in specific areas including Bradford on Avon, Corsham, and Trowbridge.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Carbon Coop: Manchester-based community cooperative offering whole-house retrofit assessments and community energy services. Direct overlap with BWCE's Home Energy advisory and community ownership model.
• Bristol Energy Cooperative: Community-owned renewable energy cooperative based in Bristol, developing community-owned solar and wind projects funded by member shares. Closely comparable community benefit society model in the same Southwest England region.
• Sharenergy: UK-wide cooperative providing support services to community energy groups, including finance, governance, and project development. Comparable in supporting community-owned renewable generation across the UK.
• Repowering London: London-based community energy organization developing community-owned solar projects and energy efficiency programs. Operates the same community-share-funded, member-owned renewable model as BWCE.
• Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-op: Brighton-based community energy cooperative providing energy efficiency advice and supporting community-owned renewables. Direct community benefit society peer in the home energy advisory space.
• Plymouth Energy Community: Southwest England community energy organization addressing fuel poverty and supporting community-owned renewable energy projects. Highly comparable Southwest UK community energy footprint.
• Low Carbon Hub: Oxfordshire-based community benefit society developing community-owned renewable energy projects and offering low-carbon advice services. Combines renewable generation with community-funded decarbonization initiatives, mirroring BWCE's dual mandate.
• Pure Leapfrog: UK charity supporting community energy organizations with project finance, fundraising, and capacity building. Operates within the same community energy ecosystem as BWCE and supports peer organizations nationwide.
• Big Community Solar: UK community energy organization focused on community-owned solar farms. Direct overlap with BWCE's solar PV generation activities and community share-funded development approach.

Emerging players

• Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE): Bristol-based charity providing energy advice, retrofit training, and community energy support. Partner of BWCE on the Futureproof scheme with overlapping mission around home energy efficiency and community decarbonization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCw9n
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bath-and-west-community-energy-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles31 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Bath & West Community Energy