Today our new 50kW solar PV system was commissioned, sited on the roofs of (free-range) chicken sheds at a local farm. We funded the system through a mix of the Society’s reserves and loans from members, with the former to […]
Free community energy course
Do you want to help improve the energy efficiency of homes in your area? Are people in your community struggling to pay their energy bills? Confused by the Green Deal and ECO? Not sure what other forms of funding are […]
Need a community energy expert to mentor your project?
Our project managers at Hockerton Housing Project (HHP) are looking for community energy projects who want to learn from our experience, to take advantage of a new Mentoring Fund. The scheme is only open to applicants until 12 December 2013, but successful […]
Annual report 2012/13
Today SHOCK Directors reported progress on its sustainability objectives to its AGM. Environmental: In the last year our wind turbine has produced 281,212 kWh of zero carbon power, displacing the emission of 146.33 tonnes of carbon dioxide from fossil fuelled […]
Community wind energy gets a boost!
South Brent’s community-owned Vestas V27 started production last week and 10th September sees 2355kWh on the clock. It is great to this project go live, as it is very similar to our local Sustainable Hockerton turbine, which is also fully community […]
Retrofit for the Future and the missed opportunity of offsite renewable energy
If this property’s share in our community-owned wind turbine were taken into account, it would have the lowest energy use and CO2 emissions of all properties in the recent Government-backed Retrofit Revealed report. The Government’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB) funded the Retrofit for the […]
Community wind turbine pays dividends
The Sustainable Hockerton community-owned wind turbine continues to turn a profit! Members of the Society have received payments of 8% interest and there is enough money left in the bank to donate £10,000 to the village to pursue sustainability and […]
Ready for the summer sun
The residents of Hockerton Housing Project have installed another community-owned solar PV system. This will expand the PV generation by the co-operative from 7.6kW to 13.6kW and make the site a net exporter of electricity. We decided to install additional […]
Wind rush in Hockerton
Two wind turbines have popped up around Hockerton. Patrick, a local organic farmer, has installed a Gaia 11kW and another local farmer has erected an Enercon E33 near Eakring. SYNERGY the transition group in our neighbouring town of Southwell is also working […]
Returns for the environment, economy and community
Today SHOCK Directors reported progress in 2010/11 on its sustainability objectives to its AGM. Environmental: In the last year our wind turbine has produced 264,487 kWh of zero carbon power, displacing the emission of 144.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide from […]
Village wind turbine reaps financial reward
Hockerton’s community-owned wind turbine is beginning to reap financial rewards for both its shareholders and the village. It has just paid out its first interest payment to members of 5%, only 18 months after production started. It has also made […]
Community energy: who benefits?
We’ve reached the end of another financial year and will now start thinking about the apportionment of income between different stakeholders. The principles behind the allocation was set out in our Invitation to Invest , and it still stands that […]
Wind turbine produces more electricity than village
The media continue to follow the progress of our community-owned wind turbine with interest, and today BBC Nottingham provides an online update. So far the turbine has generated over 240,000Kwh of electricity (latest figures from end of December 2010), the equivalent to […]
What’s the link between social cohesion and action on carbon?
Our society has broader aims than cutting carbon emissions. We want to make our parish more sustainable, environmentally, socially and economically. With that in mind over the Christmas period we hosted a meal for local residents at the local pub, […]
Our first AGM
Today SHOCK Directors reported progress on its sustainability objectives to its first AGM. Environmental: In the last year our wind turbine has produced 48,557kWh of zero carbon power, displacing the emission of 27.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide from fossil fuelled […]
BBC reports on Sustainable Hockerton
The BBC has today published a very positive write-up of our progress at Hockerton. Let’s hope it inspires more communities to take action.
“Four months after its installation a community owned wind turbine has generated over 76,708Kwh of electricity for the people of Hockerton.
Seventy-seven investors, over half of them local, donated £230,000, approximately £3,500 each, to buy the second-hand wind turbine.
The electricity created is fed into the national grid and sold on.
They hope to get up to 8% annual return on their investment and help the environment at the same time.”
Read more here.
Sustainabili-Tea
The recent opening of our wind turbine was attended by approximately 60 of our members, the majority of whom are local residents. We took the opportunity to thank them for their support with a cream tea in a local café, but […]
Energy efficiency and community energy
Local low carbon housing pioneers Hockerton Housing Project are currently taking part in a UK-wide competition to deliver energy savings of 80% in social housing. They have partnered with Newark and Sherwood Homes to improve a pair of semi-detached homes in Newark. […]