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Latest news

<p>The new initiative, Community Energy Catalyst, will support local communities to build their own clean energy infrastructure or secure stakes in larger regional renewable energy schemes. Fair Play Clean Energy, Thrive’s existing joint venture with Top Cashback Sustainability Ltd, will provide £20 million of the investment, with Better Society Capital providing matched funding.</p>
<p>Community Energy Catalyst will make investments ranging between £0.5 million to £30 million in individual projects which are at least 1MW in size and employ proven technologies such as onshore and offshore wind, solar PV and hydro-electric. The joint venture will target late-stage development projects that have already secured planning consent, enabling them to advance through to construction, commissioning and operation while aligning with local objectives.</p>
<p>As well as funding, Thrive brings 30 years of experience financing, building and operating clean energy projects in the UK, and will provide support to community energy groups during key milestones such as procurement and grid connection.</p>
<p>When we created our award-winning community funding bridge in 2017, it was the first of its kind. Eight years later we’ve invested over £21 million into seven community energy projects, including £4 million to build England’s largest onshore wind turbine, which is 100% owned by the community in our home city of Bristol.</p>


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ACE_June_2024-6

Funding partnership with Better Society Capital will help more communities to own their own projects or take a stake in a larger project in their local area.

We’re partnering with the UK’s leading social impact investor to mobilise £40 million for community-owned energy projects

Featured

<p><span data-contrast="auto">That’s why we’re thrilled to be teaming up with community energy group, Bristol Energy Cooperative, to give local residents the opportunity to own a share in our 20 MW battery located on Feeder Road in Bristol. This is the first time in the UK that an owner has offered the local community an opportunity for shared ownership of a standalone commercial battery project. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The battery is currently being commissioned and when it’s live will have the capacity to store and deliver 1.5 hours or 30MWh of electricity to the national and local grid. Not only will the project provide crucial flexibility and balancing services, but the agreement with BEC means that local causes will be able to benefit from a share of any revenues generated.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"> </span></p>


<p><span data-contrast="auto">We’ve invested a total of £29 million in clean energy projects across Bristol, funding more than a third of the city’s renewable electricity generation and storage capacity (37%)*</span><span data-contrast="auto">. This includes our 8.2MW wind farm in Avonmouth and the £4 million loan we provided to Ambition Community Energy (ACE) to fund the construction of England’s largest community-owned onshore wind turbine. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The local community have been heavily involved since the start of the project. In 2020, the site was originally signposted for a diesel-fuelled STOR plant however, thanks to a successful planning appeal from a group of residents in St Phillip’s Marsh, the project was shelved. </span><a href="https://rade-bristol.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">‘Residents Against Dirty Energy’ (RADE)</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> is now helping to support groups facing similar issues elsewhere.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>
<p><span class="TextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">With construction now complete, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">our team has</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> also developed a landscape plan for Feeder Road</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> that will help to </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">protect</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> and enhance </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">the</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> biodiversity of the site.</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">We’ve</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> focused on providing the resident wildlife with </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">more places to nest and shelter. This includes installing </span><span class="NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2Themed SCXW251870655 BCX8">a number of</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> bird, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">bat</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">invertebrate</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> boxes,</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> as well as planting</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">trees, hedgerows, species rich grassland, shade scrub and native ferns that will strengthen local habitat corridors and provide wildlife with food, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">nectar</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> and pollen</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">. The </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">biodiversity</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8"> improvements at the site will amount to a </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">total </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">investment of </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">£100,</span><span class="NormalTextRun CommentStart SCXW251870655 BCX8">000</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW251870655 BCX8">.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW251870655 BCX8" data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}"> </span></p>


<p><span data-contrast="none">*Based on non-combustion renewables including wind, solar and battery storage, excluding anaerobic digesters and energy from waste.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-energy-planning-database-monthly-extract">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-energy-planning-database-monthly-extract</a> </span></p>


Newsletter CTA

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Bristol Energy Cooperative will be able to make a co-investment of up to 20%.

Powering our communities: Thrive becomes the first commercial battery owner to offer shared ownership to local community group

<p>The increase was, in part, due to higher levels of wind in 2022, with our 13 onshore wind projects responsible for producing over 90% of total generation for the year.</p>
<p>In fact, National Grid ESO reported that wind farms contributed <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/britain-produced-record-amount-wind-power-2022-national-grid-2023-01-06/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a record 26.8% of the country’s electricity in 2022</a>, with a new milestone for wind generation set on 30 December, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/03/uk-sets-new-record-for-turbine-power-generation-after-period-of-low-wind" target="_blank" rel="noopener">when 20.91 GW were produced by the UK’s fleet of onshore and offshore turbines</a>. The ESO also said a new record was set for the share of electricity on the grid coming from zero-carbon sources, which supplied 87.2% of total power on the same date.</p>
<p>As a result of strong generation from wind and solar, the UK also saw substantial carbon emissions reductions in 2022, with <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-emissions-fall-3-4-in-2022-as-coal-use-drops-to-lowest-level-since-1757/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new analysis from Carbon Brief</a> finding that greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.4% in total.</p>


<p>According to Regen and National Grid ESO’s study ‘A Day in the Life’, we need 35 GW of onshore wind by 2035 to meet net zero.  The government’s recent consultation, which was seeking viewpoints on proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, will determine the future of onshore wind in England, after a 2015 amendment made it almost impossible to build new projects. By removing the amendment and returning to the levels of deployment that were being achieved prior to 2015, the UK would be able to deliver cheaper bills for consumers, improve its energy independence, support new jobs and, ultimately, achieve net zero.</p>
<p>It was positive to see the government addressing repowering as part of the consultation and we look forward to receiving further clarification on this. Replacing England&#8217;s aging wind turbines with more efficient models will help to produce more renewable electricity, which can then be used to complement new wind projects in delivering the capacity required for net zero. It is essential in the context of the global climate emergency and the UK’s decarbonisation efforts that we do not lose any of our existing onshore fleet.</p>
<p>In 2006, we successfully replaced 10 turbines with just 8 more modern and efficient machines at our Caton Moor wind farm in Lancashire. With two fewer turbines, and only a small increase in the height of each, output from the site was increased seven-fold to 47 million kWh of electricity per annum.</p>


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Thrive renewables open day in Avonmouth. September 2022.

We generated enough renewable electricity to power all the homes in a town the size of Halifax.

Blown away: Generation levels up significantly following record-breaking year for wind power

<p>The new funding will be used to complete construction of the project by 2024. The site operator – Geothermal Engineering Limited – predicts United Downs will deliver 2Mwe of baseload electricity once operational, and up to 10MWth of zero carbon heat, which will be used by a large housing estate at Langarth, developed by Cornwall Council.</p>
<p>£15 million has been raised in total, with an additional £12 million has been investment from Kerogen, a private equity fund manager specialising in international energy.</p>


<p>Thrive made the first commercial investment of £3 million into United Downs in January 2020 to support final testing and preparation of wells at the site, as well as £0.47 million into Geogen in 2021 to fund planning applications for additional potential geothermal sites in the UK. Two of these sites – Penhallow and Manhay – have now received planning permission.</p>


<p>The UK has significant geothermal resources which, if harnessed, can play an important role in both the UK’s energy security and its transition to net zero. Geothermal technology offers a homegrown, low carbon and sustainable form of energy. Crucially, this technology is capable of generating 24/7 baseload power, enabling the UK to diversify its energy market whilst providing large scale and predictable capacity.</p>
<p>It also holds significant potential for local, low-carbon lithium production – with GEL finding a high concentration of lithium in the geothermal fluids at United Downs – which could then be used to support the roll out of electric cars in the UK.</p>


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After providing the first commercial funding for the United Downs Geothermal project in 2020, we’ve made an additional investment to complete construction at the site.

Thrive makes further £3 million investment to get the UK's first deep geothermal plant into operation

<p>The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ‘Embrace Equity’, with an aim to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren&#8217;t enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.</p>
<p>To mark the occasion, we caught up with our chair, Jo Butlin, who has had an impressive 25-year career leading and operating energy businesses across the UK, with roles including E.ON UK, SmartestEnergy and Utilyx. In 2017, she also set up her own consulting company, EnergyBridge Limited, to help businesses and investors navigate the evolving energy market.</p>
<p>Empowering other women is something Jo is incredibly passionate about, which is why she co-founded the Women&#8217;s Utilities Network (WUN), a not-for-profit which supports women working in the utilities industries to connect, develop and encourage one another.</p>
<p>Watch the video below to hear Jo’s thoughts on how the energy industry can become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive and her tips for other women looking to break the ‘glass ceiling’ in industries which have been traditionally dominated by men.</p>


International Women's Day 2023

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We hear from Jo about her career in the energy industry, how she thinks it can improve and prioritise diversity and her advice for others looking to progress in traditionally male dominated sectors.

Be brave, be authentic, be prepared to move: Our chair, Jo Butlin, shares her thoughts on leadership for International Women's Day

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<p>One of the main ways Thrive goes beyond is by reducing harmful carbon dioxide emissions, ultimately tackling the climate crisis. In fact, since we began with our mission in 1994, our projects have generated over two million MWh of clean electricity. That’s enough to power over 508,000 average UK homes for a year &#8211; delivering carbon emissions reductions equivalent to 917,517 tCO2e.</p>
<p>Below we hear from some of our newest team members to find out about what they love about the environment, why other businesses need to prioritise impact and what working for a B Corp means to them.</p>
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We’re proud of being a B Corp, having spent close to 30 years working to build a fairer, cleaner future. As we kick off B Corp month, some of our latest recruits share what it’s like working for a company that puts people and planet first.

Thrive's newest team members share the reasons why #wegobeyond for B Corp month

<p>The prize will be delivered in the form of resources, expertise, and scale to help Riding Sunbeams to develop, prototype and implement its ideas, with the business developing bespoke technology that connects solar energy to AC overhead electrified routes.</p>
<p>With research finding that solar traction power could provide at least one tenth of the energy needed to power trains on the UK’s electrified routes every year, the team will also be looking at how it can continue unlocking the route to market for community owned solar farms which have planning permission but not the long-term price certainty they need to secure funding for construction.</p>
<p>After extensive feasibility work and research, Riding Sunbeams completed its first successful pilot project in 2019. Honing the technology with Network Rail, the company connected over 100 solar PV panels to the railway at its demonstrator site, outside Aldershot station in the UK, which are still in operation today.</p>
<p>The trial was instrumental in proving that solar PV can feed power directly into DC third rail electric traction network. Network Rail has now launched a new tender to explore further opportunities for the direct supply of renewable power to its infrastructure across the UK.</p>
<p>You can listen to Leo Murray, Riding Sunbeams’ Innovation Director, discuss the awards and the company’s mission to power the railways with unsubsidised, direct-wire renewable generation as part of the <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/all-aboard-london-solar-powered-tube-b1062733.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Evening Standard’s Leader podcast series here.</a></p>


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Solar Power Railway Launch

The solar to rail pioneer, which Thrive is invested in, is now focusing on its next stage of growth as it works to decarbonise the UK railway.

Riding Sunbeams receives $75,000 of Cisco support following first Fast Future Innovation Awards

<p>Among the stand-out statistics, the report found that there are almost 20,000 businesses that are contributing £71 billion – or 3.7% &#8211; in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy at the same time as providing 840,000 jobs. The report further highlights the rewards of decarbonisation, suggesting that environmentally sustainable economic growth, for example the development and scaling of renewable energy, is also beneficial in distributing economic activity across the UK.</p>
<p>Highlights also included:</p>
<ul>
<li>From 16 sub-sectors, the renewable energy planning database has the largest composition with around 320,000 employees and 7,500 businesses. This forms almost 40% of businesses.</li>
<li>The energy sector also had the highest contribution of GVA to the UK economy, accounting for 16% of the total £71 billion GVA contribution.</li>
<li>In 2021, venture funding into the net zero economy reached £710 million. This was over 10 times higher than venture investment into the oil and gas sub-industry, which saw a total of £49 million in venture investment.</li>
<li>The net zero economy is highly connected to the wider UK supply chain, leading to a multiplier effect across the economy as goods and services are purchased from other industries. This supply chain contribution represents £29.5 billion in GVA, contributing 1.5% to the UK economy.</li>
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<p>We were particularly pleased to see that the West of England was identified as one of the top 20 net zero economic hotspots, which includes our home city of Bristol. Thrive was featured as one of the net zero economy businesses operating in a range of sectors and specialisms, from energy generation to education.</p>


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As part of a new report, the West of England has been identified as a net zero economic hotspot, with Thrive featured as business case study.

Mapping the net zero economy with the CBI and Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit

<p>Protecting the environment is in our DNA – we were set up in 1994 in response to worsening climate change (unfortunately now the climate emergency) which is why, alongside funding and building renewable projects, we do everything we can to minimise our impact as a business.</p>
<p>As well as being a B Corp, we have implemented several initiatives that support staff in making planet-friendly choices. This includes supporting <a href="https://www.climateperks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate Perks</a> – a scheme that incentivises low-carbon travel through paid ‘journey days’. It essentially means that, if we choose to travel via train, coach or ferry instead of flying, we are entitled to additional holiday. Louise Daniels, Head of Communications &amp; Marketing at Thrive, shares her latest experience with Climate Perks, explaining why she chose to jump on the Eurostar instead of building up air miles.</p>
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<p><span class="button"><a href="https://www.climateperks.com/latest/guest-post-louise-daniels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read her blog here</a></span></p>


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Compared to other sustainable behaviours, flying less is one of the most powerful actions we can take to cut carbon. Come with us on a journey to the French Alps using the Climate Perks scheme.

A hop, skip and a train away - Embracing low carbon holiday travel with Climate Perks

<p>The icing on the cake? We are proud to have won the Finance &amp; Innovation award alongside Ambition Community Energy (ACE) and Bristol &amp; Bath Regional Capital for our work in funding what will be England’s largest onshore wind turbine.</p>
<p>In April 2022, we provided a £4 million loan to ACE so that it could get the 4.2 MW wind project into construction after various challenges. Our innovative funding model was key to ensuring the project went ahead and we’re proud to have played a part in what will be a record-breaking project, serving the Lawrence Weston community in our home city of Bristol.</p>
<p>Once commissioned, the 115-metre diameter, 150-metre tip height turbine will be capable of generating enough power for close to 3,000 homes – the equivalent to Lawrence Weston’s domestic use – and will save almost 120,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over its lifetime.</p>
<p>It will also provide a new revenue stream for the local community in Lawrence Weston, with all profits from electricity sales being reinvested back into the area and acting as a driver for regeneration.</p>
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FINANCEANDINNOVATIONAWARD-WINNER

We were thrilled to take home the Finance & Innovation Award for our work with Ambition Community Energy to build England’s largest onshore wind turbine.

We won gold for finance and innovation at the Community Energy Awards

<p>Tucked away in the hills behind Blackridge in Scotland, the reserve is located near our Drumduff wind farm, which we co-own and operate alongside GreenPower. In 2022, Drumduff helped to fund the construction of 170 metres of boardwalk, with an official opening held in March 2022. Now we’re supporting the second phase of the extension, which will add a further 250 metres of boardwalk and will be completed in March 2023.</p>
<p>Blawhorn Moss is a rare survivor of the raised and blanket bogs that once covered much of central Scotland, with over 8,000 years of history locked into its peat layers. Carnivorous sundews, dragonflies and damselflies, heath spotted orchids and curlews, are just some of the plants, animals and birds that call this home.</p>
<p>As well as the educational benefit, the nature reserve plays an important role in reducing carbon emissions. This is because each raised bog contains 1,000 years’ worth of accumulated plant material that can’t rot down – also known as peat. Peat contains a considerable amount of carbon and so, to prevent it being released into the atmosphere, the reserve must be kept waterlogged.</p>


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<p>Drumduff wind farm is made up of three turbines and built on an old, disused open cast coal mine to the north of Blackridge in West Lothian, Scotland. At 6 MW, it has the capacity to generate enough renewable electricity to meet the annual demand of over 5,000 homes.</p>
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<p>We aim to support the communities living close to our sites in a variety of ways, which includes improving the energy efficiency of important community buildings through our <a href="/our-impact/community-benefit-programme/">Community Benefit Programme</a>. Administered by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), we have made grants of up to £4,000 available to shared buildings so that they can make important sustainability improvements such as draught proofing and insulation. This year, we are also supporting CSE’s ‘Share the Warmth’ appeal, which is giving vital support to those facing fuel poverty. You can read more <a href="/latest-news/news/we-re-backing-cse-s-share-the-warmth-appeal-to-help-people-struggling-with-energy-bills/">here</a>.</p>
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Our Drumduff wind farm is helping fund the construction of more boardwalks, giving people the opportunity to discover an oasis of open windswept moors.

Unlocking over 8,000 years of Scottish history at Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve

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<p>Despite the global energy crisis, it’s important that we acknowledge the things that have improved this year – and there have definitely been some encouraging signs of progress. In fact, a recent report by the <a href="https://www.iea.org/news/renewable-power-s-growth-is-being-turbocharged-as-countries-seek-to-strengthen-energy-security">International Energy Agency</a> (IEA) has found that the energy crisis has triggered unprecedented momentum for renewables, with the world set to add as much renewable power in the next five years as it has in the past 20.</p>
<p>Thrive has certainly made significant headway in 2022. As well as starting construction on our largest battery project to date – a 20MW site in our hometown of Bristol, we provided a £4 million loan to Ambition Community Energy so that they could build England’s largest, 100% community-owned onshore wind turbine. Helping to ensure the benefits of renewable energy stay local, the turbine will generate enough clean electricity to cover the community’s domestic energy use and any profits from electricity sales will be fed back into local causes. We also funded the installation of a number of rooftop solar arrays through our work with Olympus Power, helping more UK businesses to reduce their emissions and play their part in the acceleration of net zero. To top it off, we successfully crowdfunded £6.8 million, which will help us deliver more onshore wind, rooftop solar and battery storage projects in the months to come.</p>
<p>As we start a new year, we’ve put together our renewables ‘wish list’ for 2023, outlining what we would like to see prioritised as we work towards a low-carbon future here in the UK.</p>
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<h3><strong>1. Growing the UK&#8217;s energy independence</strong></h3>
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<p>Millions of households have been impacted by soaring energy prices, with data from the <a href="https://www.current-news.co.uk/news/wholesale-gas-crisis-to-add-4-400-to-household-energy-bills-by-2024">Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU)</a> finding that the wholesale gas crisis will have added £4,400 to the average UK household’s energy bill by 2024.</p>
<p>Highlighting how dependent the UK has been on imported gas, the country is now increasingly having to rely on liquified natural gas (LNG) as a way to replace Russian supply. The problem with this is the additional processing of <a href="https://ceenergynews.com/voices/how-to-evaluate-pipeline-gas-versus-lng/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LNG is even more greenhouse gas intensive than pipeline gas</a>, generating between 61% and 176% more greenhouse gas emissions. So, this short-term fix to satisfy gas demand will have major consequences for the environment.</p>
<p>As if we didn’t know it already, the energy crisis has further demonstrated our need for clean, homegrown power. Technologies such as onshore wind and solar are quick to deploy and can be delivering cost savings to consumers within a year. We want to see the government facilitating the deployment of technologies that build the way to a smarter, cleaner and more secure energy market in the UK.</p>
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<h3><strong>2. Greater clarity and a level playing field for onshore wind</strong></h3>
<p>As you may have read in <a href="/latest-news/blog/it-s-time-to-unleash-the-power-of-onshore-wind-in-england/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our last blog</a>, onshore wind is back on the agenda – with the government recently announcing a consultation on removing the de facto ban put in place in 2015. Expected to conclude in April 2023, the government will be looking to remove the additional planning hurdles for the development of new onshore wind farms in places with local support.</p>
<p>What we really need to know is: what constitutes community support and how will it need to be evidenced? Until this happens, ready-to-go projects will remain stuck in the planning process and this seems crazy in the face of a country-wide energy crisis, especially as onshore wind is one of the cheapest and quickest technologies to deploy. What we’d really like to see is a level playing field for onshore wind and a return to planning policy that puts onshore wind ‘in line with other infrastructure projects’. The current planning regime already takes into account local support, ecology and land use for any project.</p>
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<h3><strong>3. Moving forwards on market reform so people can benefit from low-cost renewables</strong></h3>
<p>Earlier this year, the government announced a review into the UK’s electricity system (REMA), looking at how, amongst other things, we could decouple the wholesale electricity market price from fossil fuels. As the review progresses, we want to see acknowledgement of the benefits of moving from a marginal price model to a price of capacity model. This would give consumers greater transparency around the cost savings associated with renewables, in turn helping to bolster support, drive investment and accelerate the transition.</p>
<p>If done correctly, we believe that reform of the current structure will be a positive move and will support the UK’s acceleration towards a clean energy system. However, it’s important that the government works together with investors and developers when it comes to next steps.</p>
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<h3><strong>4. Making the most of the space we have available</strong></h3>
<p>At the COP26 conference in Glasgow, the government pledged to decarbonise the electricity system by 2035. To ensure that the UK’s electricity is predominantly generated by renewables and other low-carbon technologies by 2035, we need to make the most of the areas we have available for development. This means utilising things like rooftops and other commercial spaces such as car parks.</p>
<p>Direct wire or on-site renewables are a great way to support businesses in reducing their carbon emissions, with the clean electricity helping to power their operations and any surplus being exported to the grid. <a href="https://www.cpre.org.uk/news/unleash-rooftop-solar-to-tackle-energy-crisis-we-urge-chancellor/">Analysis from CPRE</a>, the countryside charity, has found that if only a quarter of the UK’s total 250,000 hectares of south-facing commercial roof space was useable, it could generate 25GW of electricity annually. This is supported by <a href="https://www.solarpowerportal.co.uk/news/using_5_of_uk_commercial_rooftop_space_for_solar_could_save_12.6_billion_an">data from PowerMarket</a> which also revealed that, if the UK used just 5% of the available commercial rooftop space for solar, it could lead to an estimated £12.6 billion per year in energy cost savings.</p>
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<h3><strong>5. Bridging the renewables skills gap</strong></h3>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.pwc.co.uk/who-we-are/our-purpose/building-trust-in-the-climate-transition/supporting-a-fair-transition/green-jobs-barometer.html">PwC’s annual green jobs barometer</a>, the number of jobs being created in the renewable energy industry is growing four times faster than the overall UK employment market.</p>
<p>But, while it’s great to see the number of green jobs growing, it’s still felt that there is a lack of quality applicants to fill them. We think it’s important for the government to support green careers as part of the national curriculum, but we’d also like to see more support going towards conversion courses and upskilling so that the talented individuals working within the oil and gas sector – for example – feel empowered to make the transition into renewables.</p>
<p>Yes, nurturing talent from a young age is important but we shouldn’t miss out on the huge number of skilled workers who, with some further training, would be ready to help the industry grow at the scale required.</p>
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As we turn the page on what’s been a challenging year for everyone, we share some of our successes and hopes for the clean energy sector in 2023.

We're dreaming of a.... low carbon future! Here's what's on our New Year's wish list

<p>According to the government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renewable-energy-planning-database-monthly-extract">renewable energy planning database</a>, 1,852 MW of onshore wind was submitted for planning in the UK this year – with only 10.25 MW of this proposed for England. Clearly, outdated planning policy is stopping the development of new onshore wind farms that could accelerate net zero, build our energy security and lower bills for households across the country.</p>
<p>While it’s positive to see the topic of onshore wind back on the agenda, it’s still unclear what the proposed consultation really means for the development of new projects. Below we unpack the available detail and why we think backing onshore wind is one of the best solutions to the energy crisis.</p>
<h3><strong>What&#8217;s been happening with onshore wind up until now?</strong></h3>
<p>In addition to removing all financial support for onshore renewables, in 2015 the Government placed a de facto ban on new onshore wind development in England through changes to its National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). It meant that developers could only build on land that was specifically identified for onshore wind in the council’s local plan. As plans are revisited every 20 years, many local plans do not acknowledge renewable energy let alone have land allocated for the development of new renewable projects. This means that over the seven years since 2015 only five new projects with a capacity of 24MW have made it through the planning process and been successfully constructed in England.</p>
<p>In contrast, there is strong support for onshore wind by members of the public. The Government’s <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/public-attitudes-tracking-survey">latest survey of public attitudes</a> towards renewables and tackling climate change shows that 88% of people support using renewable energy, with 79% of people supporting onshore wind and only 4% opposing it.</p>
<p>The issues surrounding onshore wind development were raised once again in Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini budget in October. It was suggested that the government planned to move planning regulation for onshore wind ‘in line with other infrastructure projects’ – something that we have been calling for since 2015. Following Kwasi’s resignation, however, the new chancellor Jeremy Hunt reversed almost all the proposals made by his predecessor and it was left unclear what would happen with onshore wind.</p>
<h3><strong>What does the new consultation mean?</strong></h3>
<p>The government recently confirmed a consultation into onshore wind in England, looking at how it can ensure that new onshore wind projects are built in areas where there is local support. This comes after a group of Conservative MPs showed significant support for an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration bill that would have removed the block.</p>
<p>While the consultation is a positive step, this does not mean that the ban will be lifted completely and there’s still a lack of clarity about what ‘local support’ means and how it will need to be demonstrated. The current proposals state that ‘planning permission would be dependent on a project being able to demonstrate local support and satisfactorily address any impacts identified by the local community’. It also adds that ‘Local authorities would have to demonstrate their support for certain areas as being suitable for onshore wind, moving away from rigid requirements for sites to be designated in local plans’. According to the government’s website, the technical consultation on changes to the NPPF will be launched by Christmas and concluded by the end of April 2023.</p>
<h3><strong>We want to see a level playing field</strong></h3>
<p>We believe to put the UK in the strongest position possible, the government should still be looking to align the planning policy for onshore wind with other infrastructure projects; with the ‘standard’ planning process taking into consideration the local community, ecology and land use. Doing so could be a milestone for the responsible development of further onshore renewables and we already know that this would bring significant economic benefits.</p>
<p>In fact, <a href="https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.renewableuk.com/resource/resmgr/media/onshore_wind_prospectus_fina.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RUK’s onshore wind prospectus</a> concluded that, if we double onshore wind capacity to 30GW by 2030, it would reduce consumer bills by £16.3 billion over the course of the decade, generate £45 billion of economic activity and create 27,000 full-time jobs in the UK’s onshore wind industry. Quite simply, the longer we stall on new onshore wind development in England, the more money households lose and the further away we get from net zero.</p>


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As the government confirms that it will consult on lifting the de facto ban on onshore wind in England, we share our thoughts on why this technology has a key role to play in tackling the climate emergency and ongoing energy crisis.

It's time to unleash the power of onshore wind in England

<p>Below we summarise some of the key energy policies announced following the election and what they could mean for the future of the UK energy system.</p>
<h3><strong>Unlocking onshore wind</strong></h3>
<p>Within days of the election, the Chancellor announced plans for radical planning reform, including fulfilling the promise to lift the de facto ban on new onshore wind farms in England. As one of the cheapest and cleanest ways to produce electricity, it means onshore wind will no longer face unique planning restrictions and instead be treated the same as any other infrastructure projects – something we have been calling for since 2015. In order to scale up onshore wind in line with targets, the government has also announced the creation of an Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce, which will see it work collaboratively with the industry, regulatory and other relevant bodies to help overcome the barrier developers are currently facing.</p>
<p>It’s worth noting that the removal of the ban doesn’t mean new onshore wind farms will be popping up everywhere. New developments will need to undergo the usual planning process and delays with grid connection are still a major challenge. It is, however, a huge stride forward and we see great potential for the repowering of existing sites – replacing turbines that have come to the end of their life with more modern and efficient machines – which could go a long way in meeting the government’s 2030 targets, without increasing the total number of turbines.</p>
<h3><strong>Planning reform</strong></h3>
<p>After announcing plans for radical planning reform that would make building energy infrastructure easier, the government launched a new consultation: &#8216;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-reforms-to-the-national-planning-policy-framework-and-other-changes-to-the-planning-system/proposed-reforms-to-the-national-planning-policy-framework-and-other-changes-to-the-planning-system#scope-of-consultation">Proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and other changes to the planning system&#8217;</a>.</p>
<p>Suggested amendments to the existing National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) include instructing planning officers and local authorities to consider the benefits of renewable projects, as well as an expectation that they will proactively identify potential project sites when developing plans. The aim is that these changes will help establish a much stronger presumption in favour of approving new renewables projects, supporting the UK&#8217;s ambitious net zero goals.</p>
<p>As well as removing the ban on onshore wind, Labour has challenged the previous government&#8217;s decision to add a separate footnote to the NPPF giving more consideration to the availability of agricultural land when making planning decisions on new solar farms.</p>
<h3><strong>Great British Energy </strong></h3>
<p>A key part of Labour’s election manifesto was its plans for Great British Energy (GBE), a publicly owned energy company designed to drive clean energy deployment. GBE will work with and alongside the private sector to develop, own and operate clean energy assets with ambitions to double onshore wind, triple solar power, and quadruple offshore wind by 2030.</p>
<p>While we wait to see how exactly GBE will interact with the industry, we’re hopeful that this renewed focus on working together – alongside communities – is what is needed to decarbonise our energy system.</p>
<h3><strong>Local power plan</strong></h3>
<p>Recognising that local power generation is an essential part of the energy mix, GBE will also help the government to deliver on its Local Power Plan, enabling local authorities and communities to become owners and stakeholders in local clean energy projects.</p>
<p>In GBE’s Founding Statement, it states that ‘through partnering with and providing funding and support to Local and Combined Authorities and Community Energy Groups, the Local Power Plan will roll out small and medium scale renewable energy projects, using established technologies to develop up to 8G W of cheaper, cleaner power. This will include shared ownership projects in partnership with private developers.’</p>
<p>As big supporters of community energy, it’s positive to see legislation that prioritises local people, ensuring they will ‘benefit directly’ from any increase in generation. Thrive will continue working with community energy groups, helping them build and own projects – giving local people a chance to benefit socially and financially from renewables.</p>
<h3><strong>Rooftop solar revolution</strong></h3>
<p>As part of its ambition to triple solar power by 2030, the Government has outlined plans for a rooftop solar “revolution”, introducing measures that will help more homes to be fitted with solar panels to bring down domestic energy bills and tackle the climate crisis.</p>
<p>We recognise the importance of rooftop solar when it comes to decarbonising the UK’s energy system and have already invested just over £3 million in rooftop solar arrays for businesses across the country. Not only does this help them to lower the carbon intensity of their operations but means they can directly benefit from cheaper clean power generated on site. We see this as a key technology as we continue our diversification strategy, investing in a range of renewable assets that will work together.</p>
<h3><strong>Contracts for Difference</strong></h3>
<p>A significant jump in the budget for the next Contracts for Difference (CfD) allocation round has also been announced, increasing from £1 billion to over £1.5 billion.</p>
<p>CfD auctions incentivise investment in energy generation projects which have a high upfront cost, by guaranteeing stable prices over a long period. It’s positive to see the uplift in funding, with £185 million of the total budget allocated to established technologies such as onshore wind and solar, up from £65 million in round five.</p>
<p>We believe that smaller (sub 5MW), localised clean energy projects are also important, which means developers will need to continue seeking additional routes to market. At Thrive, we also work with other business models, such as corporate power purchase agreements or ‘direct wire’ arrangements where solar and wind projects are installed on site, providing the industrial host with a direct supply of clean electricity.</p>
<p>Building on a series of positive announcements from government, we have and will always prioritise action – doing what’s necessary to get new projects built. We’ll also continue working with industry bodies such as RenewableUK to help inform and steer policy so that it ensures people are at the heart of a cleaner, fairer energy system in the UK.</p>


We summarise some of the key energy policies announced following the election and what they could mean for the future of the UK energy system.

Winds of change: What does the Labour government mean for energy?

<p>It is powered by fluid heated by geothermal brine several miles below the Earth’s surface. This rotates the turbine which is connected to a generator that converts kinetic energy into electricity.</p>


<p>Site operator – Geothermal Engineering Limited (GEL) – predicts United Downs will deliver 2MWe of baseload electricity once operational, plus additional zero carbon heat for local housing, hospitals and schools. The site also has the potential to fulfil a significant portion of the UK’s lithium demand. Tests at United Downs have shown that geothermal fluid within the wells has one of the highest concentrations of lithium in Europe at 340 parts per million (ppm). This sustainably produced lithium could be used to support the growing EV industry as we transition to net zero.</p>
<p>GEL run monthly family open days to give local people the opportunity to learn about the project and see its progress. The next one is taking place on 20 August and tickets can be booked through <a href="https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/united-downs-deep-geothermal-power-project-family-open-day-tickets-880822552967#search">Eventbrite</a>.</p>


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Landmark project in Cornwall on track to start generating renewable electricity in early 2025. 

United Downs will soon deliver UK’s first geothermal electricity as generation turbine is installed

<p><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">The nacelle and blades at the top of the tower</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8"> will be </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">refurbished</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8"> and upgraded</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">,</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">with works </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">due to start</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">in </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">late August</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8"> 2024</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">This will allow the turbine to run reliably into </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">future</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW187127153 BCX8">, generating clean power for UK homes and businesses. </span></p>


<p><span data-contrast="auto">Works are expected to be completed by the end of October. As part of the refurbishment, Thrive Renewables has applied for planning permission to update the logos displayed at the top of the tower. The refurbishment will go ahead whether or not the new logos are permitted. The Ness Point wind turbine has a 2.75MW capacity, enough to power over 2,200 average UK homes per year. </span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Thrive Renewables runs a voluntary Community Benefit Programme with the Centre for Sustainable Energy, providing grants of up to £4,500 for energy efficiency improvements in community centres, village halls and other shared spaces, making them warmer and cheaper to run. Since the scheme started, three community buildings in the area have benefitted – Wrentham Village Hall, Community Action Suffolk’s Kirkley Centre and North East Suffolk CAB.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:240,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Round eight of the scheme is now open to applications and community buildings in Lowestoft and the surrounding area are encouraged to apply. More information can be found <a href="/news/2024/07/helping-communities-cut-carbon-and-costs-thrive-launches-round-eight-of-community-benefit-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here. </a></span></p>


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