Weardale Renewable Energy

What Weardale Renewable Energy does

Weardale Renewable Energy CIC is a non-profit Community Interest Company (Reg No. 14421825) founded in 2022 and headquartered in Wolsingham, County Durham, UK. The organization develops and plans to install community-owned solar PV, small-scale hydroelectric, and battery storage systems, with an 11-50 employee base focused on households, community groups/village halls, and commercial property owners in Weardale and the wider Northeast England region.

The core technical offering comprises solar PV installations, hydro power systems leveraging Weardale's natural landscape, and battery storage solutions for energy independence and outage resilience. The flagship initiative is a planned 600kWp community-owned solar farm at Heights Quarry / Rose Hill Farm, for which feasibility, ecological, and visual impact studies have been completed, an electrical connection agreement has been secured from Northern Powergrid, and pre-planning has received a positive recommendation from Durham County Council. Installation is targeted for Spring/Summer 2026, with the operational asset slated for transfer to a newly created Community Benefit Society (CBS).

The business model is structured as a not-for-profit CIC with an Asset Lock Statement, meaning surplus income from energy generation is reinvested into a Community Trust Fund for further community energy initiatives and local environmental causes rather than distributed to shareholders. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on village hall presentations, volunteer networks, free impartial advice, a referral partnership with the Energy Saving Trust, and a crowdfunding campaign via Crowdfunder. Primary funding to date consists of a £40,000 Stage 1 grant from the Community Energy Fund (CEF) in 2023, with a pending Stage 2 application for up to £100,000, both restricted to specific project stages and not covering core running costs.

Name

Weardale Renewable Energy

Legal name

Weardale Renewable Energy CIC

Website

https://weardalerenewables.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Weardale Renewable Energy CIC is a UK non-profit developing community-owned solar PV, hydroelectric, and battery storage systems for homeowners, community groups, village halls, and businesses in County Durham, Northeast England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Renewable Energy Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction (237130)

SIC

Electrical Work (1731), Electric Services (4911)

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), Electrical Balance-of-Plant EPC (MV Collection, Cabling, Earthing, Lighting) (EUAEADAB), Transmission Interconnection & Line Works (Gen-Tie Lines, Overhead/Underground Lines) (EUAMAFAF)

Keywords

• Community renewable energy
• Solar PV installations
• Battery storage systems
• Small-scale hydroelectric power
• Community energy projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Wolsingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Energy Generation and Sales: Generate clean electricity through solar farms and renewable installations. Energy sales produce surplus income that is reinvested into a Community Trust Fund to support further community energy initiatives and local environmental causes.
2. Community Trust Fund Reinvestment: As a not-for-profit CIC, profits from energy generation are not distributed to shareholders but reinvested into community projects, educational outreach, and further renewable energy developments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Weardale Renewable Energy CIC develops and installs community-owned renewable energy systems, including solar PV, battery storage, and small-scale hydroelectric power, for homeowners, community groups, village halls, and commercial property owners in the Weardale area of Northeast England. The organisation provides start-to-finish project management and free impartial advice, and is leading the development of a 600kWp community-owned solar farm at Heights Quarry that will be transferred to a Community Benefit Society for ongoing community ownership.

Product overview

Weardale Renewable Energy CIC is a not-for-profit community interest company offering a portfolio of renewable energy products and services. Core offerings include Solar PV Installations and Hydro Power systems for homes, businesses, and community facilities, complemented by Battery Storage Solutions for energy independence. The company provides Start-to-Finish Project Management and Free Impartial Advice services. The flagship project is the Heights Quarry Community Solar Farm (600kWp), a community-owned solar installation that will be managed by a Community Benefit Society to fund local environmental causes through a Community Trust Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar PV Installations Community-owned solar photovoltaic (PV) systems designed to help homeowners, community groups, village halls, and commercial property owners reduce energy bills, lower carbon footprint, and support the local community, optimised for the Northeast UK climate.
• Hydro Power Systems Small-scale hydroelectric systems designed to harness Weardale's natural landscape for renewable energy generation, positioning the area as a leader in rural renewable energy innovation.
• Battery Storage Solutions Battery storage systems that allow users to store excess solar energy for use when generation is low, or charge overnight on lower tariffs for daytime use, reducing grid reliance and ensuring energy security during outages.
• Start-to-Finish Project Management Comprehensive project management services guiding customers through the entire renewable energy transition process, from initial consultation through final installation and beyond, tailored for homeowners, community groups, village halls, and commercial property owners.
• Free, Impartial Energy Advice Free, impartial advice on renewable energy options, including energy efficiency tips from the Energy Saving Trust, helping community members make informed decisions about clean energy.
• Heights Quarry Community Solar Farm A 600kWp community-owned solar farm project at Heights Quarry / Rose Hill Farm, to be owned and operated by a newly created Community Benefit Society (CBS) that will generate clean electricity and create a long-term income stream for a Community Trust Fund to support local environmental initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 600kWp solar installation generating clean electricity for community benefit
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CrowdfundercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrowdfunding platform hosting the Community Owned Energy campaign to raise funds for continuing organizational work, supporting volunteers, and community engagement while awaiting CEF Stage 2 grant decision.
• Northern PowergridcoreTechnology or IntegrationElectrical connection agreement secured for the Heights Quarry solar farm project. Northern Powergrid provides the grid connection infrastructure required for the renewable energy installation.
• Energy Saving TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides free impartial energy advice tips to help community members make informed decisions about renewable energy. Partnership supports the company's commitment to community education and empowerment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Energy4All: UK co-operative that incubates and supports community-owned renewable energy societies, including share offers and ongoing governance; highly comparable as a peer/community-energy umbrella operating on the same cooperative-CIC model that Weardale's planned CBS will use.
• Repowering London: UK community-owned solar developer running shared solar projects on social housing and community buildings; closely comparable to Weardale in mission, community-share model, and rooftop/community-scale solar deployment.
• Low Carbon Hub: Oxfordshire-based community benefit society that develops and operates community-owned renewable energy projects, including solar farms; directly analogous in structure (community ownership, surplus reinvested locally) and project profile (mid-scale solar generation for community benefit).
• Sharenergy Cooperative: Cooperative supporting community-owned renewable energy schemes across the UK; directly comparable peer in business model, member-ownership structure, and rural/grassroots energy project focus.

Broad incumbents

• Good Energy: UK renewable electricity supplier sourcing from independent generators including community schemes; comparable as a broad incumbent in renewable energy supply, but operating at much larger scale and as a commercial supplier rather than a community developer.
• Ecotricity: UK green energy utility that builds and operates its own wind and solar generation; comparable as a broad incumbent in renewable generation, though it operates at national scale rather than community-led EPC deployment.
• Octopus Energy: Major UK energy supplier with significant renewable generation investments and community-facing schemes; adjacent incumbent with overlapping customer base (UK residential/community renewables) but very different scale and ownership structure.

Others

• Solar Energy UK: UK solar industry trade association representing solar generators, installers, and developers; relevant as an ecosystem/adjoining body rather than a direct competitor, useful as a sector-level reference for Weardale's market positioning.
• Abundance Investment: UK investment platform that has funded community and renewable energy projects via community share offers; comparable as an enabling/capital-formation partner similar in role to Weardale's use of Crowdfunder for community share raises.

Regional players

• Community Energy Scotland: Scottish membership body supporting community-owned renewable energy projects; comparable peer in mission and community-energy development model, but serving a separate UK region from Weardale's Northeast England focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Weardale Renewable Energy