Sharenergy

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.

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

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

• Community renewable energy
• Solar cooperative services
• Share offer administration
• Renewable project development
• Cooperative energy consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Shrewsbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Share Register Management: Administrative services managing share registers for community energy societies, including member communications, dividend payments, and regulatory compliance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Midcounties Co-operativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2024Partnership 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 BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2021Hosting a Big Solar Co-op local node to work on new solar PV installations in Birmingham area. Recruiting for local node coordinator.
• YnNi Newydd CyfcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSharenergy client developing Bretton Hall Solar Farm project spanning Fintshire and Cheshire border. Share offer targeting £340,000 to £610,000.
• EthexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInvestment platform partner for community bond and share offers including Big Solar Co-op's successful £1.8M bond offer for Whiteborough Solar Park.
• InterfloorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFactory site hosting 467.5kWp Rossendale Valley Energy solar array - Europe's largest producer of carpet underlays, supporting local community energy project.
• Lightfoot EnterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal 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

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sharenergy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Sharenergy