Sharenergy
Sharenergy is a UK cooperative founded in 2011 that helps community groups develop, finance, and manage renewable energy co-operatives, supporting 35+ societies with solar, wind, hydro, and heat projects through development services and share register administration.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersShrewsbury, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sharenergy does
Sharenergy Co-operative Ltd is a Shrewsbury-based cooperative founded in April 2011 that supports community groups to develop, finance, and manage renewable energy co-operatives across the United Kingdom. The organization operates as an FCA-registered Community Benefit Society under the Co-operatives and Community Benefit Societies Act, and is independent of any venture capital or private equity backing. Its core offerings consist of two flagship programmes — the Big Solar Co-op, a UK-wide volunteer-powered solar cooperative initiative launched in 2019, and the Community Heat Development Unit (CHDU), an 18-month research and innovation project launched in September 2023 focused on community-owned heat networks — alongside broader development services for wind, hydro, and solar projects.
The underlying service portfolio comprises three pillars: project development services (feasibility studies, planning applications, share offer administration, and project management, including work funded through the Rural Community Energy Fund); share register management and administrative services for existing community energy societies (member communications, dividend payments, and regulatory compliance); and training programmes that build volunteer capacity in solar design and site assessment. Sharenergy has supported well over 100 community energy projects since inception and currently works with 35+ societies across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Sharenergy's revenue mechanics combine professional services fees (development and consulting) with managed services fees (ongoing share register administration), supported by grant funding for innovation work such as the CHDU. Distribution occurs through direct engagement with community groups, partnerships with investment platforms (notably Ethex, which listed a £1.8 million Big Solar Co-op bond offer in 2025), and partnerships with social investors including Big Society Capital and Power to Change via the CORE programme. Customer segments are threefold: community energy groups developing new projects, host sites providing rooftops or land, and individual investors participating in community share offers (typically £100–£35,000 per investor). The organization holds Fair Tax Mark certification, achieved in May 2023, and is a Co-operatives UK Certified Member.
Sharenergy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sharenergy
- Legal name
- Sharenergy Co-operative Ltd
- Website
- https://sharenergy.coop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sharenergy is a UK cooperative founded in 2011 that helps community groups develop, finance, and manage renewable energy co-operatives, supporting 35+ societies with solar, wind, hydro, and heat projects through development services and share register administration.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sharenergy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Renewable Energy Development Services
- NAICS
- Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Electric & Other Services Combined (4931)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Solar Development & Subscription Management (EUAMAJAA)
Keywords
Where Sharenergy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shrewsbury
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Sharenergy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Development Services: Sharenergy provides development support services to community energy groups, including feasibility studies, planning applications, and project management. They work with RCEF (Rural Community Energy Fund) funded projects.
- Share Register Management: Administrative services managing share registers for community energy societies, including member communications, dividend payments, and regulatory compliance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Community share investments from £100 to £35,000 with targeted returns |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sharenergy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sharenergy is a cooperative that provides end-to-end development, financing, and administrative support services to community energy groups seeking to set up and own renewable energy projects. It helps groups launch community share offers, run feasibility studies, plan installations, and manage share registers for Community Benefit Societies developing solar, wind, hydro, and heat network projects.
Product overview
Sharenergy is a community energy cooperative that helps communities set up and own renewable energy projects. The organization operates two main offerings: the Big Solar Co-op, a UK-wide solar cooperative model that supports volunteer-led solar development across the country, and the Community Heat Development Unit (CHDU), focused on community-owned heat networks. Services include project development consulting, share offer administration, and management support for community energy societies developing solar, wind, and hydro projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Big Solar Co-op: A UK-wide community-owned solar cooperative initiative that enables communities to develop and own solar PV installations, operating under a volunteer-powered model.
- Community Heat Development Unit (CHDU)
Products and services
- Big Solar Co-op A UK-wide community-owned solar cooperative that enables communities to develop and own solar PV installations on rooftops and ground-mounted sites, providing volunteer-led project support, training in solar design and site assessment, and coordination of community share offers.
- Community Heat Development Unit (CHDU) A research and innovation initiative developing community-owned heat networks to help communities decarbonize heating through district heating systems and renewable heat sources, replacing oil and LPG heating with renewable alternatives.
- Project Development Services
Quantifiable outcome
- £30M+ community energy investment facilitated over recent years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sharenergy
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sharenergy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Sharenergy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Midcounties Co-operativeflagshipPartnership with Big Solar Co-op for rollout of solar PV arrays at 29 sites including offices, childcare settings, and supermarkets across the Midlands. Represents generation potential of 5 GWh of low carbon electricity.
- Community Energy BirminghamcoreHosting a Big Solar Co-op local node to work on new solar PV installations in Birmingham area. Recruiting for local node coordinator.
- YnNi Newydd CyfcoreSharenergy client developing Bretton Hall Solar Farm project spanning Fintshire and Cheshire border. Share offer targeting £340,000 to £610,000.
- EthexcoreInvestment platform partner for community bond and share offers including Big Solar Co-op's successful £1.8M bond offer for Whiteborough Solar Park.
- InterfloorcoreFactory site hosting 467.5kWp Rossendale Valley Energy solar array - Europe's largest producer of carpet underlays, supporting local community energy project.
- Lightfoot EnterprisescoreLocal community group collaborating with Sharenergy on Bishop's Castle Heat and Wind project, managing project on behalf of Shropshire & Telford Community Energy.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sharenergy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Energy4All: UK cooperative that develops and supports community-owned renewable energy projects, offering share-offer administration and project development services. Closest direct peer to Sharenergy given the shared co-operative structure, share-register management service line, and UK community-energy focus.
- Low Carbon Hub: Oxford-based community benefit society developing solar and renewable projects across the UK. Both organisations develop community-owned generation, raise capital through community share offers, and operate on a non-profit cooperative basis — making them highly comparable peers.
- Bristol Energy Cooperative: One of the UK's largest community energy cooperatives, owning solar PV installations and offering community shares. Directly comparable as a community-owned renewable energy cooperative raising capital through similar share-offer mechanics.
- Bath & West Community Energy: Community energy cooperative operating solar projects in the Bath and West of England region, raising funds via community share offers. Even named as one of Sharenergy's supported societies (£2M raised), making it both a customer and a peer.
Emerging players
- Repowering London: London-based community energy organisation developing community-owned solar projects with a focus on urban, lower-income and BAME communities. Comparable mission and project model though smaller-scale and London-centric versus Sharenergy's UK-wide rural focus.
- Pure Leapfrog: UK community energy charity providing seed funding, project finance and development support to community energy groups. Operates in the same ecosystem as Sharenergy — funding and supporting community energy projects — though focused on grant/loan provision rather than share-register administration.
Broad incumbents
- Good Energy: UK-listed renewable electricity supplier and IPP that sources from independent generators, including community-owned projects. Comparable as a UK renewable-energy player with community-energy partnerships, but operates at significantly larger scale as a commercial retailer rather than development-services cooperative.
- Carbon Trust: International climate-change consultancy advising organisations on decarbonisation, including renewable energy project advisory. Overlaps with Sharenergy on renewable-energy advisory but operates as a much larger commercial consultancy rather than a community-owned cooperative.
Others
- Co-operatives UK: UK trade body promoting and representing the cooperative sector. Sharenergy displays the Co-operatives UK Certified Members marque; the body provides shared sector infrastructure (governance, policy advocacy, training) that benefits Sharenergy and other community-energy coops.
- Community Energy England: Industry body representing the UK community energy sector, of which Sharenergy is an active member and award participant. Not a competitor but a sectoral infrastructure and advocacy organisation on which Sharenergy depends for policy representation and sector visibility.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sharenergy social profiles
Digital presenceSharenergy compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Sharenergy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sharenergy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Sharenergy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sharenergy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sharenergy
What does Sharenergy do?
Sharenergy is a cooperative that provides end-to-end development, financing, and administrative support services to community energy groups seeking to set up and own renewable energy projects. It helps groups launch community share offers, run feasibility studies, plan installations, and manage share registers for Community Benefit Societies developing solar, wind, hydro, and heat network projects.
Is Sharenergy a public or private company?
Sharenergy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sharenergy founded?
Sharenergy was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sharenergy based?
Sharenergy is headquartered in Shrewsbury, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Sharenergy make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Development Services are the primary driver. The others are share Register Management.
Who are Sharenergy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Energy4All, Low Carbon Hub, Bristol Energy Cooperative and Bath & West Community Energy. Emerging players are Repowering London and Pure Leapfrog. Broad incumbents are Good Energy and Carbon Trust. Others are Co-operatives UK and Community Energy England.
Does Sharenergy have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sharenergy.
What industry is Sharenergy in?
Sharenergy's product category is Community Renewable Energy Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAMAJAA, Community Solar Development & Subscription Management. Its NAICS code is 525 and its SIC code is 4931.